CRANBERRY TWP — While Black Friday is for many a day to buy things at discount prices, for one area organization it's a chance to help the less fortunate to get toys for the holiday season.

While shoppers packed every inch of shopping space Friday, Shawn MacIntyre, an EMT with Cranberry Township EMS, collected toys for underprivileged children throughout the county.

Stationed with an ambulance outside of a township shopping plaza, MacIntyre slowly filled it up with toys and games, starting at 8 a.m. with plans to stay until 2 p.m.

“I'm here for Toys for Tots today,” he said. “We do a 'stuff the ambulance' every year. This is I believe our fourth year, and we're doing a pretty good job stuffing the ambulance this year.”

At around 11 a.m. the ambulance was filling up with board games, costumes, balls and stuffed animals of all shapes and sizes. One box nearly overflowed with toys as passers-by helped fill the second.

“Anyone can go in ... they can buy a toy and bring it out to us, and we put in the ambulance or put it in one of our boxes so we can fill the entire ambulance,” he said. “The Toys for Tots folks from up in Butler will come and pick it up.”

Raquelle Smith, 7, of Cranberry Township donated a Monopoly board game to the collection.

“We thought it would be good for someone,” she said.

Cranberry EMS hosts several of these collections around the holiday season, with Friday's being the biggest. Depending on how well it does, MacIntyre said they may do another.

For his part, MacIntyre said he's happy to have the chance to help those in need.

“We're pretty happy to be doing it,” he said.

For those looking to get involved another way, visit butler-pa.toysfortots.org for more information.