Lanesboro prison employees donate 832 Christmas toys

Hundreds of children in one of North Carolina’s most impoverished counties will have a Christmas full of gifts, thanks to a state prison.

During this year’s Toys for Tots program in Anson County, employees at Lanesboro Correctional Institution donated 832 toys –including 53 bicycles.

The Men’s Alliance Club – a group of inmates at the Polkton prison who raise money through food sales and donate a portion to charity – also contributed $500 towards the campaign.

Last weekend, the coordinator for Anson County Toys for Tots realized the program would need another 2,000 toys to accommodate the requests of local children, according to David Mitchell, the prison’s top administrator.

The generosity of Lanesboro’s employees has “significantly closed the gap in fulfilling the toy request for many children this season,” Mitchell said.

Located about 45 miles southeast of Charlotte, Lanesboro is a maximum security prison that houses about 1,400 inmates and employs more than 500 staff members.

It sits near the heart of Anson County, where almost a quarter of residents have lived in poverty in recent years.

Ames Alexander

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 12:50 PM with the headline "Lanesboro prison employees donate 832 Christmas toys."