Toys for Tots Campaign to Begin

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - An annual holiday toy drive kicks off in Metro Atlanta this week.

And with the economy continuing to lag, area kids are counting on your donations more than ever.

True to form, Santa and his Toys for Tots helpers have been preparing for this season for quite a while. And early into all of the sorting and bagging that goes on in a Lawrenceville warehouse, organizers say they were already overwhelmed by the need.

"With the economy, the loss of jobs in the area we could give out every toy we collect this year," said Teresa Wilhite of Toys for Tots.

For years, the Marines and Toys for Tots volunteers have collected new, unwrapped toys starting in October to make sure every child has presents under their tree come Christmas day.

"The flow of toys is dependant upon the heart of the giver as they carry the toys around the various drop sites around Atlanta," said Santa Richard Matthews of Toys for Tots.
This year's goal is to collect 800,000 toys. So far 150,000 have already been distributed, but with Christmas just around the coer, there's a long way to go.

"You hate not to make children happy. You hate not to fulfill people's wishes. That's our goal. Let's get the toys in, let's get them sorted and let's try to make every child's wish come true," said Wihite.

Organizers say the greatest need right now is toys for children 0-2 and toys for boys and girls 10-13. They also need volunteers to help sort and bag the donations because if every child in the metro area is to have a magical Christmas, Santa can't do it alone.

"When you sit down and you've walked the miles and done the sleigh rides, you've gotta get the toys under the trees," said Matthews.

For more on the Toys for Tots Campaign, Click here.