By Perry Schaible
Enquirer contributor

LEBANON - Tammy Dyer came to the Lebanon Police Department Friday afternoon, to fill out additional paperwork regarding the $2,500 worth of toys meant for the U.S. Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program that were stolen from her vehicle last weekend.

What she got instead was $2,000 worth of toys donated by employees of Sara Lee Foods.

"That is wonderful," Dyer said after giving Officer Robb White, who helped orchestrate the ruse, a hard time. "Oh, wow!"

Dyer has served as coordinator of the Butler/Warren counties Toys for Tots program for three years.

Her vehicle was parked in the driveway of her Lebanon home last Friday, packed with gifts waiting to be dropped off at a storage unit and later handed out at the Warren County Fairgrounds to needy children.

Dyer didn't unload the gifts right away because she had to tend to her two sick children.

By Monday the toys were gone.

"It was empty, totally empty," Dyer said.

Sara Lee Foods employees started collecting donations after employee Karen Manning heard of the theft.

"I just saw it on the news and I just said, this is the right thing for us to do," Manning said.

They raised enough money to replace most of the CD players, CDs, cassettes, and 45 Ninja Turtle figures that were taken.

"You're one of Santa's most blessed elves," Manning told Dyer as she hugged her.

"Thanks, I try to be," Dyer said.

Members of the Deerfield Township Professional Firefighters Association also collected toys for Dyer and presented her with a check for $150.

Toys for Tots in Butler and Warren counties has tripled the number of families served this year. The organization has already given toys to about 5,800 kids and served 1,500 families.

"We're going to help all the families we can help until we have no more toys," Dyer said.

"I just don't want any kids to go without, and with this gift they won't."