Spirit is more than a mind set, an eagle or the colors orange and blue for Auburn students and residents.
It is what fuels the men and women of Auburn to contribute to charitable causes such as Toys for Tots during the Christmas season.
"The goal for this year," said Sgt. Cedric Anderson of Auburn Police Department, "is to have enough toys to make sure all those who have signed up have a full load for Christmas."
Toys for Tots is a national program established in 1947 by Col. William Hendricks, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, whose wife helped him recognize a need for a program through which Christmas gifts could be distributed to underprivileged children.
This year Auburn Police Department teamed up with Auburn Fire Department, Uncle Bob's Self-Storage, Spa Auburn and the Auburn Social Work Club to collect gifts throughout the community during October, November and December.
Anderson said any resident of Auburn may register his or her child until Dec. 8 to receive gifts as long as he or she is the child's parent or legal guardian has proof of residency in Auburn and provides the child's social security number.
Registration is held at the Auburn Police Department Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.
The program is available to both boys and girls, but children are eligible only if they are 12 years old or younger.
"We try to give a wide range of gifts to each child," Anderson said. "Our goal every year is to make sure no child is left out."
Anderson said the number of gifts each child receives depends on how many are donated.
"We try to make sure each child gets half a dozen gifts if we have a lot come in," Anderson said. "It depends on the volume of toys."
Anderson said the goal is to completely fill the gift boxes and bags distributed to the children.
"Some gifts can't fit in a bag," Anderson said, "but those are big-ticket items and really put a smile on a child's face when they wake up Christmas morning."
Gifts can include bicycles, DVDs, CDs, clothes and miscellaneous toys, but all gifts must be unwrapped so they can be inspected and placed with the correct age groups.
"We would like to encourage everyone to come out and participate in the program so that every child will have at least one gift under their tree for Christmas," Anderson said.
Anderson said the program seems to grow every year, which is evident in businesses such as Spa Auburn, participating for the first time this year.
"We just all wanted to do something community service related," said Kelly Moseley, director of Spa Auburn. "We're excited to do something for somebody else."
Moseley said Spa Auburn is offering discounts on spa services to customers who donate toys by Dec. 15.
"If you come here and bring a new, unwrapped gift, you get 10 percent off of your visit that day and your name is entered in a drawing for a day at the spa," Moseley said.
Another first-time supporter of the program is the Auburn University Social Work Club.
"We're really excited about it," said Kendra Collins, president of the club. "This is such a great cause. The social work club is so happy we could team up and help."
Collins said the club is holding a toy drive on Haley Concourse, Nov. 16 to Nov. 17, the week before Thanksgiving break.
The club will also have an angel tree from which students can choose children ages 1 through 9 to sponsor during Christmas.
"The children have a wish list of four gifts they really like," Collins said. "It would be great if we could get all the gifts on the list."
Collins said students can drop off unwrapped gifts at the club's Concourse table or office in Haley Center Rm. 7030.
"A member of the police department will come to campus each day after the drive to pick up what we have collected," Collins said.
Collins said the club is holding a fundraiser at Shakey's Pizza, Nov. 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for the Toys for Tots and Angel Tree programs.
Twenty percent of all proceeds from the night will be divided between the two programs, Collins said.
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