Time is running out and donations are running low for this year's Toys for Tots drive, and one special twelve-year-old girl is hoping to make a big difference, as local marines make a plea for your help.
"I started thinking that we get a lot of presents for Christmas and some people don't get any so I used the money I had saved up from babysitting and my allowance and I got these. 'So how much money did you use to buy all these toys?' Um, $250," said Lily Hoellwarth, a 12-year-old, Good Samaritan.
It's the most wonderful time of the year, for some, for others it can be one of the most stressful, shaking the piggy bank in hopes the money will go just a bit further. So 12-year-old Lily is just lending an extra hand.
"As a kid, I know how it feels to get something and, what you want to get. So I got some things that I would want, for people my age, and a couple things for people who are a little bit younger," said Lily.
She’s helping fill empty bins and boxes at the Toys for Tots warehouse and helping fill little hands on Christmas morning.
"I got a sled because I know it gets really snowy here," said Lily.
But she can't do it single-handedly. The local Marine Corps Reserve is now accepting donations through December 16th.
"This is actually a bag that we have filled. It's a toy request. Each single one of these sheets is associated with a family," said Sergeant Devin Zeballos, with the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
They’re hoping to fill all of the bags, for each family in need this season.
"I have a lot of families sitting here in my hands that may or may not be able to get that Christmas that we need,” said Sergeant Zeballos.
And Lily hopes for the same, "I'm hoping that these gifts will go to kids who don't usually get presents, and they'll feel that happiness of Christmas," said Lily.
All in an effort to ensure faces lit up like Christmas lights on the morning of December 25th.
KBOI Radio will be outside Sportsman's Warehouse on Fairview in Meridian trying to stuff a semi-trailer full of toys for the next two days. They've been there all day today, and to alleviate a little pressure, Franklin Building Supply donated $3952.70 to the Toys for Tots program Friday. Afternoon.
"When you're trying to fill a 53-foot trailer, over 5,000 cubic feet of space, so we can help out about 18,000 kids, we have a long way to go, but I'm pretty sure we can do it," said Nate Shelman, Host for KBOI Radio.
But they can’t do it without your help. So, if you're able to donate, they will be outside Sportsman's Warehouse until midnight on Friday. From 5 AM to midnight on Saturday, and again from 5 AM to 5 PM on Sunday.
The Marine Corps Reserve said the most needed donations are girls ages 4 to 6 and 10 to 12.
You can donate toys at any Albertsons in the valley through December 16th, and any donations taken afterward will be stored for next year. You can also donate online, here.
