With broken hearts, Staten Island family steps away from holiday toy drive after decades of service - silive.com

Lisa and Steven Bonici of South Beach pose with a photo of Lisa’s brother, Richard Gardner, a police officer who lost his life in an off-duty accident in 1995. The family has hosted the Richard Gardner Jr. Memorial Toy Drive for 30 years. (Owen Reiter for the Staten Island Advance)Owen Reiter

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — After delivering more than 36,000 toys to sick and disadvantaged New York City children over the past 30 years, the Staten Island family of a late police officer has announced that it must step away.

The drive, held annually in honor of Richard Gardner Jr., a young police officer who lost his life in 1995, will continue to accept financial donations, which will be delivered to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and a few toy collections will take place on Staten Island this year, said Lisa Bonici, sister of the late police officer, who has run the drive with her family for decades.

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