7 Tucson Christmas Toy Drives Aim To Bring Holiday Smiles

TUCSON, AZ — With so many ways to give and so many to give to, the holidays can become overwhelming. However, sometimes taking a few minutes and spending a few dollars to shop for and drop off a toy for a child who otherwise won’t have any to unwrap on Dec. 25 can be magically rejuvenating. Accordingly, Tucson area residents looking to help the uber-busy Santa fulfill his duties this year can do so through local toy drives like these:

1. Benefitting Casa De Los Ninos, the Harley-Davidson of Tucson and Tucson HOG Chapter 96 toy drive runs through Friday, Dec. 13. New unwrapped toys are accepted and can be dropped at Harley-Davidson of Tucson, 7355 N. I-10 Frontage Road, Tucson any day through Dec. 13 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
2. Benefitting the Diamond Children’s Medical Center, a Christmas toy drive organized by Banner University Medicine and Hughes Federal Credit Union runs through Friday, Dec. 13. Those wanting to donate can bring cash, art supplies and unwrapped holiday toys to any Hughes location.
3. Salvation Army Christmas Angel Giving Trees are back once again this year at Tucson area malls, in partnership with Fox11. The angel tree toy drive runs through Dec. 24, and toy donors can pick up a name at the Foothills, Park Place, Tucson and La Encantada malls. For those who can’t make it to the malls and still want to participate, an online donation can be made instead by clicking the “Santa’s Helper Button” at the Salvation Army-Tucson website.
4. Steamy Concepts carpet cleaners have partnered with Toys for Tots Tucson to present a holiday toy drive for local kids. New and unwrapped toys are accepted on Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Coldwell Banker at 5460 E. Broadway Blvd., Ste. 350, Tucson, and on Dec. 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Steamy Concepts at 1551 S. Eastside Loop #181, Tucson.
5. TucsonAList.com and the Arizona Children’s Association are hosting an annual holiday drive for new unwrapped toys, clothing and sneakers for youth ages birth to 18, benefitting families in need and foster kids. These toy drive drop-off locations are accepting donations through Dec. 18, while donations can be dropped off at the Arizona Children’s Association’s office at 3716 E. Columbia St., Tucson, through Dec. 20.
6. The Tucson Unified School District is hosting a "Holiday Season Stuff The Bus" toy drive, a TUSD spokesperson said, which gives community members the opportunity to donate holiday gifts for TUSD students in need. The drive is held on Sat., Dec. 7 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Walmart at Speedway and Kolb.
7. 93.7 KRQ and the Salvation Army also bring the Tucson community two additional Stuff the Bus toy drives. The first is a "PRE-Stuff the Bus" on Dec. 7 from noon to 6 p.m. at the Oracle and Wetmore Sprint store, where new and unwrapped toys are accepted and photos are taken with Santa. Then on Fri., Dec. 13 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Walmart at Speedway and Kolb is another Stuff the Bus. The goal is to collect 6,000 toys. Those who don’t have time to shop but want to participate can donate by texting “StuffTheBusAZ” (no spaces) to 51555. All funds will be used for toys for Tucson children.