'I Think That The Club Is Very Kind To Give Us Stuff': Together 4 Colorado Toy Drive Impacts Children Across The Metro Area.
DENVER (CBS4) - CBS4 is holding its annual Together 4 Colorado Toy Drive Collection at two King Soopers stores, the one on West Alameda at Belmar in Lakewood, and the other will be at 80th and Sheridan in Arvada. The collection runs from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. All the toys go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver and they need 8,000 to make sure every one of their members gets something this Christmas.
"Maybe for some people who don't have a lot of money for their kids to get toys, I think that the club is very kind to give us stuff," said Starlynn, a 5th grader from the Bronco's Boys & Girls Club.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver run more than 20 clubs throughout the Metro Area. On a regular day, each of those clubs will see 200 members come through the doors after school. The clubs are open now at about a quarter of the capacity. At the beginning of the pandemic, the clubs had to close, and for some of the members it was like losing their second home.
"I lost contact with a lot of friends that went to the club with me, and it was very, very difficult, and very heavy on me," said Michelle, a 17-year old member from the Owen Club.
95-percent of the families that the Boys & Girls Clubs serve are living on $30,000 or less. Club families have been hit hard during the pandemic. Michelle told us that several family members have had to find new jobs, and she even picked up a job to help her family out. Christmas is going to be tight this year.
"We're definitely trying out new ways to keep the holiday spirit, and present giving and stuff. But overall, I feel like, as long as, we have each other it doesn't matter how much money we have to spend," she told CBS4.
The clubs serve kids ages 6 to 18, which is a wide range of children with a wide range of interested. Every year, the Toy Drive tries to make sure the older kids get remembered at Christmas time.
Some of the more popular toy options at the clubs include:
--Gift Cards
--Art Supplies
--Games
--STEM Kits
--Sports Equipment
--Sports Clothing
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver need the entire Colorado community to come together with donations of new, unwrapped toys so they can support their families this Christmas.
LINK: More Information About The Together 4 Colorado Toy Drive
The Together 4 Colorado Drive-thru, Drop-off Collection is Friday, Dec. 11. CBS4 and Boys & Girls Clubs staff members will be collecting toy donations outdoors in the parking lot, with social distancing, mask-wearing, and hand sanitizer available.
For people who don't feel comfortable leaving their houses, there are still ways to participate. The Boys and Girls Clubs are taking donations on their website. The money will be used to buy toys.
