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Toy Donations
The holiday season is a time of year for family and children, and part of the
Jingle Bells Program has been to provide children with gifts of toys. We would
like to encourage you to make a toy donation to help make a happier holiday
season for a family who may not otherwise be able to give gifts to their children.
In partnership with local Boy Scout Troop #416 and various businesses,
numerous toy drop box locations throughout Alexandria are available for your toy
donations. Please bring unwrapped toys so that we can appropriately identify the
best recipients for the toys.
Some of the toy drop box locations are:
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KSAX Television |
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Douglas County Hospital |
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Trumm Drug |
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Bremer Bank |
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Neighborhood National Bank |
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Viking Savings Association |
The toy drop boxes will be set out ready for your donation on Friday, November
23th, and will be accepting your donation up until Friday, December
7th. Toys may also be dropped off at Lake Geneva Christian Center the
night of the Telethon. Due to limited space, we ask that if possible, toy donations
are made prior to the Telethon at one of the toy drop box locations.
As need knows no age, the toy needs we have vary greatly as we provide gifts to
children from baby to teen. A wide variety of gifts is greatly appreciated
and accepted. We only ask that you do not donate used toys, due to safety issues
that may exist. Thank you for considering a gift of toys to brighten a child's
holiday season.
The Angel Tree Program
The Angel Tree Program is a national program that was originated by the Salvation
Army. The program is designed to make the holiday season a more magical time for all children
and parents by helping out families that are in financial strain. In 1993, the
Viking Plaza started the local Angel Tree, coordinating deliveries with the Alexandria
Jaycees Jingle Bells Program.
All children have something special that they are hoping they will get for Christmas
-- at certain ages, that may feel that Santa thinks they have been naughty if they
do not get what they are hoping for. The Angel Tree strives to ensure and reinforce
that their dreams can come true, via community support -- by individuals buying the
"dream present" for a young child.
Names and "gift wishes" flow through those agencies that work with disadvantaged
families in our area. These names are compiled as part of the Jingle Bells program
and a listing is given to Viking Plaza. Viking Plaza codes the information for the
"Angels" on the tree in the middle of the mall. This lets Viking Plaza know what
family the "Angel Tree" gift goes to while ensuring gifts within the mall --
Herbergers Business Office, JC Penney Catalog Department, and Thrifty White Camera
Department. The gifts are then grouped by family and forwarded to the Alexandria
Jaycees Jingle Bells Program for distribution with the Jingle Bells food baskets.
If you are interested in participating in the Angel Tree program, we encourage
you to visit the Angel Tree at Viking Plaza. We do ask you to remember the following
though:
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Angel tags must be returned with the presents. |
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Codes must be on the tag so we know what family they go to. |
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Presents must be turned in by Wednesday, December 5th. |
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Presents should not be wrapped. This is so the parent(s) can have the flexibility to make the gift from Santa or from them. |
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It gives you a great holiday spirit feeling!!! |
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