Rochester Regional Health holds toy drive in honor of Gary the Happy Pirate

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Rochester Regional Health is hosting a toy drive in honor of beloved community member Gary Smith, better known as Gary the Happy Pirate.

Gary founded the Pirate Toy Fund in 1995. He died in July .

Gary announced his retirement from the Pirate Toy Fund in 2020, after working with the organization for 25 years. Even after his retirement, he still made appearances at numerous events and fundraisers.

His family said the hospice care team at RRH helped care for him during the last year of his life.

“We were so blessed by their involvement with us,” Kathryn Smith said. “They strengthened us, they nurtured us, they taught us. He had a most wonderful case manager nurse that guided us through the hardest time of anybody’s life as they face death.”

Click here for more information about the initiative.

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