Here at WKHM radio, Toys for Tots (an organization that collects and distributes new, unwrapped toys to children in need) is near and dear to our hearts. Every year, we set aside one very early morning in December to host a toy drive with K-105.3 and NewsTalk 970Am/101.5FM.
We teamed up with Walmart this year on Friday, December 9th. Scott and Mallory of the K-105.3 Morning Show, and Greg O’Connor on the NewsTalk side, braved the cold and broadcast their morning shows bright (or not-so-bright, as dawn didn’t come ’til closer to the end of the show) and early from 6am-9am – right there at Walmart.
It was a quiet morning while one of the first big snows of the year started accumulating, but the hustle and bustle didn’t take long to kick up. Soon after the start, vehicles were driving up with drop-off donations and shoppers were making their way in. Friends, listeners, fans and business owners alike stopped by to see us and make donations throughout the morning.
Toys for Tots organizer Mike Brown, Salvation Army and radio station staff, and Jeff Snyder with Two Men and a Truck were on site to collect donations. All said and done after a fun morning of fellowship and shopping (and coffee & donuts! Thanks Walmart!), over $8,000 in toys and monetary donations was raised for the charity. $200 of the money came from proceeds of an online auction of a hard-to-find Hatchimals toy that was donated by a K-105.3 listener just days before.
Walmart helped us stretch our donation dollars further by offering 10% off the entire toy department for the duration of the event for those who wished to shop on site for donations.
We want to sincerely thank everyone who participated, donated and helped us orchestrate this great fundraiser which has now become a favorite Jackson tradition for many.
