A twenty-first birthday is a reason to celebrate for most, and this most certainly applies to the Dick Melloni Youth Foundation’s 21st Annual Toy Drive.

“21 years later, we have this toy drive that is supported by the people of Wareham. It’s overwhelming. It’s more than we ever imagined,” organizer Steve Melloni said.

This year’s drive event, held Saturday evening at the Elks Lodge off Cranberry Highway, featured a spaghetti dinner, dessert and dancing. Nearly 300 people packed the lodge to enjoy themselves for the cause.

The event is run by the Melloni family, including brothers Steve and Rich. The event is held in honor of their father. Rich gave an example of his father’s generosity.

“There was a nurse who worked in the E.R., and she called my father and said there was a family there living out of their car,” Rich explained. “My father came down with bags of groceries of his own. No one asked him to do it. That was the man my father was.”

His father also enjoyed children, inspiring the drive following his passing.

21 years later, Rich anticipates being able to give over 300 families a proper Christmas.

“The drive makes me feel privileged. It makes me feel responsible and scared,” Rich said. “Every year, this grows and we have to meet [a new] goal… We’re not responsible for Christmas for one family. We’re responsible for Christmas for over 350 families. I would be remiss if I didn’t tell ya we sometimes look at each other and say, ‘how are we going to do this?’”

“We feel stressed, but it’s never a burden,” Rich said.

The toy drive will continue to collect toys until Dec. 19 – a day before the toys are delivered by the family and Wareham Fire Department. For more information, call 508-295-1221.

“Every child, regardless of their socio-economic status, deserves a Christmas,” Rich said. “I could give you all the right sentences that would make for a really great article, but [we’re] just a bunch of people who want to do something – something in the name of [our] parents because of the lessons [we’ve] learned from them.”