By Marianne Lincoln
Several events are occurring this week before Thanksgiving through the Christmas season in 2020 to help other local folks struggling through this difficult year.
These are the events and dates you can help out locally with toy, clothing and food drives for the holidays. Each has further information as you read through the article.
Winterfest (PLU/Parkland/Spanaway) Donate before December 12
Murphy’s Magical Toy Drive Donation locations of FB page before Dec. 10
The Wishing Well Foundation (For local Foster children) 12716 Pacific Ave. S.
School Wishing Trees (Check with your local school)
ABATE – B.A.S.H. Food Bank Drop off Friday, 11/20/20
Northwest Toy Run (FB) Sunday, 12/6/20 Pacific Raceway, Kent
Stuff the Bus – Bethel School District Transportation Saturday, 12/5/20 from 9am to 3pm
Pierce County Santa Cops (FB) Drop off Saturday, 11/21/20 from 10am to 1pm
Matthew 25 Toy & Coat Drive Cedar Springs Church in Graham, Donate before 12/12/20
Toys for Tots Donate online
Due to COVID-19 rules, donations need to be monetary or new items in their packaging.
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The Wishing Well Foundation http://thewishingwellwa.org/
Here is a link to their Amazon Wish List if you or anyone you know is interested in purchasing an item for Washington foster children:
www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1QC1O3622QXZI?&sort=default
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Murphy’s Magical Toy Drive Graham, WA
My name is Murphy, I am 9 years old. This is the 2nd Annual Toy Drive! For the holidays all I am asking for is toy donations of new toys. Last year we donated over 300 Gifts. All donated toys will be given to the Children’s Therapy Unit at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup. I will be collecting toys now to December 10th.
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ABATE of Washington Spanaway Chapter http://abate-wa-spanaway.org/
PO BOX 154 Spanaway, WA 98387
Help fill the Boxes B.A.S.H. Food Bank Friday, November 20th, 2020
Meet by gate between 8:00am-8:30am at 103 140th Street South, Tacoma, WA. 98444
** PLEASE BRING MASKS TO WEAR **
What we do to help- This is an assembly line to prepare boxes of food for our community.
The Food Box hand out starts at 9:00am.
School Wishing Trees are often set up in various schools in Bethel and Franklin Pierce school districts. The administrators hang notes with information on the recipients. Check with your local school to see if they have one and follow their individual directions.
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Northwest Toy Run – Pacific Raceways in Kent
Sunday, December 6, 2020 at 12 PM PST – 4 PM PST
Pacific Raceways Public · Hosted by NW TOY RUN
In 2020 we continue to create joy for children at NW TOY RUN with a few changes because of our current situation. Stay tuned for those changes.
Bring a new unwrapped toy (per person) OR $5 (per person) to get into NW TOY RUN. All vehicles and car forums welcome at Pacific Raceways.
Join car enthusiasts from around the Northwest and beyond for our 16th Annual NW TOY RUN benefiting the Toys for Tots Marine corps. Toys for Tots helps less fortunate children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas by collecting new, unwrapped toys.
Supported by Pacific Raceways, Happenstance Event Productions, Participating companies include AW Stickers, Avants, Turn 10 and many more
Huge Shout to these contributors
Vendors – be a Vendor Q’s ask Mike @happenstanceevents.com
Our goal for 2020 is to reach $200+k in toy donations and to have at least 4,500 cars drive thru!
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Stuff the Bus – Bethel School District Transportation Department, Spanaway Walmart parking lot
There will be a Bethel District school bus in the parking lot at the Spanaway Walmart, on Dec. 5, 9am to 3pm. Please bring cash or new toys in their packaging to donate. COVID-19 rules prevent unwrapped or lightly used toys this year.
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Pierce County Santa Cops https://www.facebook.com/Pierce-County-Santa-Cops-256264507754431/
Pierce County Santa Cops provides food, children’s gifts and other household essentials to Pierce County families in need during the holiday season.
Collins Elementary School in Parkland is collecting food donations at their school to benefit Pierce County Santa Cops, Saturday, 11/21 from 10am to 1pm. All donations help local families in need.
(253) 798-3886 pcsantacops@hotmail.com
Pierce County Santa Cops is a charity formed and administered by members of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Dept. Their mission is to have a positive impact on the people and communities they serve. They provide food, household essentials and new holiday gifts and clothing for children and families in need during the holiday season. If you are in need of assistance, please contact the counselor at your child’s school and they will send the information to the most appropriate program for your needs.
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Matthew 25 Toy & Coat Drive – Cedars Springs Church, 25713 70th Avenue E, Graham, WA 98338
(253) 271-6457 info@churchatcedarsprings.com
Drop off new coats & toys for children ages 1-15 under the Christmas tree in the cafe – now thru 12/12/20
Join Cedar Springs on 12/19/20 @ 9am for an exciting time distributing gifts to those in need!
http://www.cedarspringsnw.com/ https://www.facebook.com/cedarsprings
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Winterfest https://www.plu.edu/service/winterfest/
Saturday, December 12th, 2020, Rainier View Christian Church, 12305 Spanaway Loop Rd S, Tacoma 98444. 2020 marks 30 years of Winterfest!
Winterfest is a Parkland-Spanaway community event that inspires hope by connecting low-income families with gifts and resources during the holiday season. Winterfest serves hundreds of local families by offering a place to share refreshments, children’s fair with games, face painting, a visit with Santa, and crafts. Parents will have the opportunity to select holiday gifts for their children, connect with local resources, and access coats, socks, and personal hygiene items. Whether you are a longtime resident or business owner or are new to the area and attending school here, we hope that you will join us!
DONATE TO WINTERFEST: Consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Winterfest Program. For online donations, click here. Checks can be made out to “PLU Winterfest” and sent to PLU Office of Advancement, 12180 Park Ave. South Tacoma, WA 98447. Contact winterfest@plu.edu for help or for more information.
PURCHASE ON AMAZON: Some favorite toys include sports equipment (basketball, football, soccer ball, skateboards), fleece blankets, multicultural dolls, and arts & crafts kits. See the Winterfest Wish List on Amazon!
NO DROP OFFS: Due to the pandemic and public health guidelines, we are not able to accept donations via community Donation Drop-Off Sites this year. VOLUNTEER AT WINTERFEST: You can help out your community by donating your time to prepare for Winterfest 2020! For this unusual year, the best way to support Winterfest is by donating gifts (either physical or financial), using the information in the “Donate to Winterfest” tab. This helps us continue to abide and uphold local public health guidelines. Thank you for d
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