CHENANGO COUNTY – The Label Gallery has always encouraged its employees to take an active role in their community, so when one employee suggested that the business should take on the task of collecting toys for the Toys for Tots campaign, the company ran with it.

For the last eight years, The Label Gallery, located on Lee Ave. in Norwich, has been in charge of organizing toy drop off locations and collecting the gifts that Catholic Charities’ Roots and Wings distributes to needy families in the area.

Chris Ulatowski, owner of The Label Gallery, said employee Dennis Rifanburg was the driving force behind the company’s involvement in the annual campaign. “We started by just placing boxes at local merchants and banks, but as the need grew, we started doing events. We try to do something different every year,” Ulatowski said.

In addition to the drop off boxes, which have been placed at a number of local retailers, banks and other businesses, The Label Gallery has participated in events like the Norwich Parade of Lights and the Sherburne Holiday Parade in order to reach more people and collect more presents. In addition, this year The Label Gallery is participating in a pizza night promotion. The promotion, which many area pizza shops are participating in, will give customers 10 percent off a purchase of $20 or more when they bring in a new unwrapped gift for Toys for Tots. The event will take place on Friday.