980 CJME’s Santas Anonymous is still looking for your help.
The program has been running for 53 years, with the goal of giving a free Christmas gift to families who might not be able to afford presents for their children.
Next week is the last week to drop off toys, as donation bins will be collected Dec. 12.
Toys are being collected for children up to the age of 12. Suggested gifts are:
- 0-2: Plush toys, bath toys, blocks, Fisher Price, little people
- 3-8: LEGO, puzzles, dolls, easy-to-read books, dress-up clothes
- 9-12: LEGO, board games, craft kits, science kits, sports equipment
Donors are asked to purchase a new, unwrapped toy and put it in a bin at shopping malls and businesses all over the city. A list of the bin locations can be found here.
“There are a lot of folks in need and we live in a time right now where it’s tough to make ends meet,” Capt. Kristen Grey of the Salvation Army in Regina said when the campaign was launched. “We’re here to help anybody who needs it this year.”
Grey said many families use the program every year.
“We helped almost 2,000 families last year, which is made up of about 4,300 children,” she said. “That’s a lot of families who may not have had Christmas without the Santas Anonymous program.”