Meet Chase Fletcher
Local Youth with Purpose and Intention
The 2024 Holiday Toy Drive was a huge success. We filled ten full trucks! The toy drive is driven primarily by Vince Benedetto of Bold Gold Media, Roger Kowalski at Wayne County Ford and Jim Zumpone of The Zipper Junction Project – along with an ARMY of elves and volunteers. It’s a daunting project that requires a lot of money, time and hard work. There are some very notable folks who go above and beyond each year. But, this article features one special young man – Chase Fletcher, who nearly filled one whole truck himself.
Chase is a boy scout in Troop #129. He began collecting for the toy drive in 2018. When asked why? “I get so much. I felt like I needed to give back.”
Since 2018, Chase, along with his mom Michelle, dad Robert, Nanna (Irene Decker) and his sister, Krysta – joined forces to help raise money to buy toys. Three years ago, when Chase decided that he wanted to become an Eagle Scout, he made it part of his Boy Scout community service. This young man has expanded his team so that this year they raised nearly $1,500.
For me personally, I get so sad when people say that kids today are lazy. I think they are just meeting the wrong kids. When kids have strong role models, they can and will accomplish great things. Michelle Fletcher, Chase’s mom, is a big part of his team. She’s a rockstar! So too, is Nanna, Dad, sister, friends, and co-workers in PA and NJ. Lazy is learned, when kids understand the potential of community, outside of themselves, that’s powerful.
The person who suggested the toy drive to Chase? …his scout leader, Phil Erb. If you know Phil, you know what an extraordinary human he is. Phil has been part of the Zipper Junction Team for years and part of the Holiday Toy Drive since it began in this form eight years ago. Toys for Tots went defunct in the area and Zipper Junction stepped in to collaborate with Bold Gold Media and Wayne County Ford who have been participating for years prior. While Toys for Tots helps children all across the county, The Holiday Toy Drive serves the children of Wayne and Pike counties.
These are our neighbors and they are pretty darn fabulous! This is no secret. In fact, I want to shout it from the highest mountain (which in the Poconos would be Mount Ararat in Wayne County at 2,654ft).
Chase has set his 2025 goal at $2k! Not only is he community focused, he is environmentally conscious. He is looking to organize a “Christmas in July” event that collects reusable shopping bags as well as seed money for toys.
When I asked Chase what he would like people to know, he just wanted to say “Thank you to all of the people who organize and work so hard to make the Holiday Toy Drive possible.”
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