Toys For Tots, ER Rooms Launch Austin Gift Drive

AUSTIN, TX — For the sixth straight year, Toys for Tots and First Choice Emergency Room facilities across Austin are teaming up with Toys for Tots for its annual community holiday drive, officials said.

All five First Choice ER facilities across Austin will be collecting unwrapped toys for children ages 0-12 now through December 10. The community's generosity has collected more than 250,000 more than 250,000 toys across all of its facilities since the partnership began in 2012, officials noted. Facilities will be marked with large holiday inflatables and are open 24/7 making it even more convenient for generous holiday shoppers.

There are 5 facilities in the Austin area serving as drop sites.

For five years, First Choice Emergency Room, a freestanding emergency room network owned and operated by Adeptus Health, has teamed up with Toys for Tots for its annual holiday community toy drive. As part of its partnership, for the sixth year in a row, First Choice Emergency Room, collects unwrapped toys at its five area facilities — three in Austin and two in Pflugerville.

“We are excited to celebrate our 6th year supporting Toys for Tots and bringing joy to children during the holiday season,” said Stephen Van Rokel, Facility Area Medical Director, First Choice Emergency Room, Austin. “We’ve collected more than 250,000 toys across all our facilities since our partnership began and know with the help of the Austin community, we will continue this momentum in 2017.”

The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program has been delivering toys to children in need since 1947 and is the largest outreach program in the Department of Defense. The program has since given out more than 494 million toys to more than 230 million children.

“Finding a present under the tree on Christmas morning is an experience every child deserves," said retired Marine Colonel Ted Silvester, vice president of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. “First Choice Emergency Room’s community service goals certainly align with those the Marine Corps has promoted for nearly 70 years through our Toys for Tots Program and help us fulfill the Christmas holiday dreams of many of less fortunate children, who otherwise might have been forgotten."

First Choice Emergency Room facilities will be clearly marked as Toys for Tots drop sites with large holiday inflatables. Furthermore, the facilities are open 24/7, making it even more convenient for generous shoppers to drop off their unwrapped gifts for deserving children in the community.

First Choice ER toy drop-off sites:

• Austin – Arboretum – 10407 Jollyville Rd., Austin, TX 78759
• Austin – Brodie Ln – 9312 Brodie Lane, Austin, TX 78748
• Austin – Riverside – 2020 E. Riverside Dr., Austin, TX 78741
• Pflugerville – FM 1825 – 15100 Farm to Market Rd 1825, Pflugerville, TX 78660
• Pflugerville – FM 685 – 1501 Farm to Market 685, Pflugerville, TX 78660

>>> Image provided by First Choice Emergency Room