West Haven 'beach box' makes sure all kids have toys to enjoy

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Donated toys await children at the beach next to the Charlotte Bacon Playground in West Haven Monday.

WEST HAVEN — An idea traveled from the Internet to West Haven's beach in only a few months.

David Tammaro, a retired West Haven police sergeant, said he was scrolling through Facebook in February when something piqued his interest: an image of a public cubby space to hold free beach toys for children.

"We’re a beach community with a playground dedicated to a child who lost their life, so I thought it would be an awesome place to have one installed," he said.

Tammaro said he reached out to Public Works Commissioner Tom McCarthy about adding a "beach box" to the Charlotte Bacon Playground abutting the beach area, and almost immediately was given approval to install one himself.

With carpenter Ralph Console and nonprofit owner Michelle Caprio, Tammaro said the team met its goal of having a beach box installed ahead of Memorial Day weekend. Tammaro said there is an intention to keep the box open until Labor Day; plans to uninstall or otherwise protect the box following the holiday are expected, but the details are so far undetermined.

Caprio, who said she has been involved in philanthropic efforts for about 20 years but officially registered her nonprofit, Do Good Feel Good Inc., in January, said she has used donations and contributions to stock the beach box with toys. She said she checks the box daily and replenishes the box with materials.

"The purpose behind the box was to have beach toys readily available for the children to play at Charlotte Bacon Playground. If children come to the sand area and don't have anything, the idea was to make that available to them to use while they were there," she said. "If a child went home with a bucket or two, we’re not upset by that."

Tammaro said the toys are predominantly purchased at a dollar store, so the volunteers behind the beach box decided against labeling the toys as being beach box property or creating signs urging that the toys be returned.

"This is about helping the community in any way we can," Caprio said.