T-L Photo/JENNIFER COMPSTON-STROUGH Volunteers pose with some of the gifts distributed Thursday at the annual Toys for Tots giveaway held in conjunction with EQT and Gulfport Energy in St. Clairsville. Gathered from left are Jerry Ackerman, Tony Colacito, Dennis Holeski, lead organizer Brett Marlow, Missy Patroski, Dennis Stillon, Susan Beresford and Jessica Cook, with Jessica Marlow kneeling in front.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Area oil and gas producers are helping to brighten the holidays for local children by supporting the Toys for Tots distributions in local counties.

On Thursday, EQT and Gulfport Energy joined forces with the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program and the Ohio Oil and Gas Association to provide Christmas gifts to Belmont County children who qualified.

The OOGA partners with energy producers to bring the effort to eight counties in Eastern Ohio.

Toys were also distributed in Harrison County in cooperation with Williams energy on Tuesday at the Scio Fire Department and in Monroe County on Wednesday, hosted by Expand Energy at Generations Complex in Woodsfield.

Ascent Resources will host the Jefferson County event on Dec. 10 at Jefferson County Board of Developmental Disabilities in Steubenville. Distributions are also scheduled for Guernsey, Noble, Carroll and Columbiana counties.

The rental truck delivering all the toys is being sponsored this year by EQT with the fuel sponsored by Blackrock Resources.

Mike Chadsey, director of external affairs for the OOGA, said this is the organization’s 11th year working with Toys for Tots. Thursday’s event was the third of nine distributions the organization is providing this year.

“So we have a different operator hosting in each county, where they contribute dollars and volunteers,” Chadsey explained.

According to Chadsey, families who qualify to receive gifts are identified through sources such as the Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services and local schools, and people can go online to register and see if they qualify. Children from birth to 18 are eligible to receive gifts through the program.

Families receive appointments to come to the distribution local, browse the selection of gifts and make their choices. Chadsey said a new family arrives about every 15 minutes, and the energy company volunteers show them around and help them carry their gifts to their vehicles.

“They get four toys per child, regardless of the age of the child, regardless of how many kids are in the family,” he said. “And then the family itself gets a board game.

“We have stuff from babies all the way up to teenagers,” he added, citing examples of gifts such as fishing and camping gear, athletic equipment and more.

Chadsey noted that he expected about 125 families to be served on Thursday alone.