Dec 24, 2007 11:35 am US/Eastern
Legal Grinch Stops Toys For Everett Homeless Kids
EVERETT (WBZ) ―
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Peter-Anthony Hereu collected toys for kids left homeless by the tanker explosion in Everett. However legal concerns are keeping those toys from being given as holiday presents.
WBZ
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Demolition is underway on two of the homes in Everett destroyed by the explosion of a gas tanker truck.
WBZ
A 10-year-old Wellesley boy
who tried to play Santa to some homeless children in Everett has run into a legal grinch.
Peter-Anthony Hereu is like a lot of other kids. He
loves gym class and hockey but he also watches the news.
When the tanker explosion left 13 families
homeless right before the holidays, it struck a cord with Peter.
"I felt sad because I wear shorts and a
T-shirt to go to bed, and imagine going into the cold and you don't have any warm
clothing," Peter said.
So he decided to collect toys and clothing for the
youngsters who lost their homes in a massive gasoline tanker fire earlier this
month.
First he built donation boxes to collect clothing and toys. "I'm
thinking crayons, coloring books, toys and clothes. Things like
that," Peter said.
But before the boxes, Peter wrote a letter to the Wellesley newspaper asking residents to help.
Then Peter's classmates at Bates
School started filling up
the boxes.
But now Everett Mayor John Hanlon says the brand new
games, trucks, blocks and crayons are being warehoused because of liability
issues stemming from the recent recalls of toys from China.
Hanlon told the Boston Herald that while he knows the boy will be disappointed,
city attorneys insisted that the toys be quarantined. The clothing will be
delivered.
The city says they appreciate Hereu's giant heart and effort, and understand that's he's disappointed. However they say their first priority is the health and safety of the Everett children; and they can't risk any of them getting sick from lead poisoning.
City leaders are now trying to find another agency to check and distribute the collected toys.
Peter-Anthony's mother, Judy Hereu, calls the city's decision to withhold the
toys "insane" and says the family may attempt to deliver the presents
themselves.
Peter-Anthony and his family say they don't care how the presents get there, as long as they get to the children before Christmas; and time is running out.
The American Red Cross and Eagle Bank of Massachusetts
have both set up funds to help those people impacted by the explosion
and fire.
If you'd like to donate you can call the Red Cross at 1-800-564-1234 or visit their Web site, www.redcross.org.
Eagle
Bank is also accepting donations to help victims of the fire. For more
information call 617-387-5110 or visit their Web site, www.bankeagle.com.
You
can also mail a check directly to the bank. Send your donation to the
Main Street Fire Relief Fund, C/O Eagle Bank, 466 Broadway, Everett,
MA, 02149.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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