CHIPs Toys For Kids Still Collecting New, Unwrapped Gifts
CHP Sonora Unit's Officer Steve Machado with toys from CHIPS for Kids Toy Drive 2019
View VideoSonora, CA – With just over two weeks of shopping days left before Christmas Santa’s elves at local CHP units busily gathering toy donations are reminding folks that efforts are still underway.
According to Sonora CHP spokesperson Steve Machado, his unit has held four toy drives collecting new, unwrapped gifts in barrels set up at several local businesses. “We collected several hundred toys that are going to be wrapped and distributed to those children by the Tuolumne County Health Department,” he shares. “Also, we received a large amount in cash donations which will help the older kids who are often forgotten and difficult to buy for.”
He adds, “Now until Dec. 20, we will continue accepting toys at the CHP office in Jamestown [at 18437 5th Ave.]. Just give us a call at 209 984-3944 and just let us know if you’re coming by – and we will be glad to go out and help you bring in the toys and just keep making those children who are less fortunate smile — and give them something to wake up to on Christmas Day to open.”
To view some of the toys among the stockpile at the Tuolumne County Health Department that will be distributed to local children, click into the image box slideshow.
Sleigh Still Needs Filling For Calaveras Kids
Over at the San Andreas CHP Unit, spokesperson Toby Butzler says there are still barrels at several locations throughout the county where new, unwrapped toys can be dropped off through the end of this week.
Now and all the way up until Christmas, he says, “You can always drop toys off at the Highway Patrol office in San Andreas [at 749 Mountain Ranch Road]. All of the toys collected in Calaveras County will stay in Calaveras County and the Resource Connection Food Bank will be distributing all the toys…if people give us toys, we can always find a good home for them in the county.”
As for how collections are going this year compared to years past, Officer Butzler confides, “I would say we are running slightly behind last year but it’s kind of hard to tell until we get it all collected. We were notified by a couple of our locations just today that our barrels are full, so we are going to go empty them and hopefully fill them again. There are obviously never enough toys.”
On a bright note, he adds, “We are doing well this well with bicycles…we were able to partner with Sacramento [CHP] and get some extra bikes, so hopefully, a lot of kids in Calaveras County are getting bicycles this year!” To view a video clip of the unit’s efforts so far this year, click the link in the image box.
