\0x10The Auburn Police Department kicked off\0x91 the 2012 Toys for Tots drive Tuesday, Oct. 2.
"\0x10The Toys for Tots program has been around for a real long time," said Auburn Police Capt. Tom Stofer. "It's for a real worthy cause. It's to bene\0x9Bfit children that are no so fortunate as we are during the holiday season."
\0x10The toys, which go to children in the local area ages 3-8, can be dropped off\0x91 at any Auburn Police Station and Auburn Fire Station.
Uncle Bob's Self Storage is also a drop off\0x91 location for the Toys for Tots toy drive after offering two of their locations.
The Uncle Bob's locations at 1231 Gatewood Drive and 2020 S. College St. are accepting toys.
"\0x10They have one location on the north side of town and a location on the south side of town, so they're convenient drop off\0x91 spots," Stofer said. "So besides the \0x9Bfire departments and the police department here in town, you can certainly use the Uncle Bob's drop o\0x91ff points."
All of the unwrapped toys collected for the Toys for Tots toy drive will be organized into age appropriate categories before distribution. Also, all toys donated must be new.
The original Toys for Tots toy drive started in 1947 by Maj. Bill Hendricks, a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. Hendricks and his group of Marine reservists collected more than 5,000 toys for distribution in Los Angeles, Calif. according to the Toys for Tots website.
\0x10The Lee County chapter of Toys for Tots is one of more than 700 across the country.
"\0x10The Toys for Tots program is a large program, and we pitch in to do our part," Stofer said.
To register a child to receive a toy, persons must visit the Auburn Police Division on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10-11 a.m. Parents or guardians must bring a picture ID, the child's social security card, birth certif\0x9Bicate and two of the following: current water bill, current electric bill or a lease or rental agreement.
Stofer said it is important to help needy children in the area because the current economic situation might mean they do not receive any presents during the holiday season without help.
"Especially during these tough economic times, it is even harder for some families to provide for their children during the holiday season, so this is just a good way that citizens can pitch in and help needy children at this time of the year," Stofer said.
Registration ends Nov. 14, but gifts can be donated until a week before Christmas.
"\0x10The week before Christmas is when we actually start delivering the gifts, so citizens can donate gifts all the way up until that time," Stofer said. "\0x10That is when the gifts will be distributed to needy children."
Volunteers from the \0x9Bfire department and police department organize the donated gifts into age-appropriate categories before delivery at that time and then distributing them.
"\0x10The best way citizens can help us is simply by bringing in a new, unwrapped gift, and we'll handle it from there," Stofer said.
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