Changes Coming for Toys for Tots Distribution this Holiday

Toys for Tots Headquarters
at 500 West Beech Street

Darleen Lopez is taking a new tack for this year’s Toys for Tots, Food for Families holiday drive.  Families qualified to receive kid’s toys will still arrive at her headquarters at 500 West Beech Street in Lamar, but the manner in which the toys will be handed out will be changed as well as the days for distribution.

Toys for Tots October 2022 Poker Run

“Unfortunately, there are some people who have taken advantage of our system for handing out toys and we’re changing the process to make everyone more accountable,” she explained, adding that the distribution will take place over several weekends instead of one day prior to Christmas.

Cornhole Tournament Fund Raiser

Recipients will come to her place of business at 7345 US Highway 50 at the KLMR corner to fill out an application form to receive the meals and the toys.  Registration times will be from 2pm to 4pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on November 8-10 and the following week, November 15-17.

The toys will be distributed alphabetically over three weekends in December at 500 West Beech Street.  If your last name ends between A and L, you can get your toys between 2pm and 5pm Friday through Sunday on December 2^nd, 3^rd of 4^th.  If you last name ends between M and Z, you can pick up the toys at the same hours on December 9^th, 10^th and 11^th.  Sunday, December 18^th will be a day for any persons who hadn’t picked up their toys by that date.

There’s one more important change to the distribution process.  Lopez said, “The child’s parents will accompany them into the building where the youngster and the youngster only, will select the toys they want, and the parents will stay in the background.  They must bring their application forms with them, otherwise there won’t be any give-aways for that family.”

Lopez is still working out the details with Jason Herrera and his volunteer crew to cook and distribute the holiday meals as they have done for numerous past holidays.  She hopes this new process will cut down on the number of left-over and unclaimed toys as was the case last year when, at the last minute, she received extra requests and spent close to $1,000 for toys that were never claimed.

This is one of several refinements to the Toys for Tots campaign that have taken place since she began organizing the annual event for the past 30 years.  “I can still always use donations for anyone who wants to send us cash.  This past October, Rod and Lonna Cook held their Oktoberfest Rod Run and Cornhole event that raised $2,465 and they’ve donated every penny to us.”  The Colorado State Patrol and Port of Entry also man their vehicles outside Walmart in Lamar every year so donations can be dropped off the day after Thanksgiving, which will be Friday, November 25^th this year.

By Russ Baldwin