OC Toy Drive brings joy and toys to 400 children

Parents eager to accept Ozark County’s help in making Christmas merry for their children lined up beginning at 5 p.m. the night before this year’s Ozark County Toy Drive began Saturday morning, Dec. 15, at the Ozark County Senior Center.

Toy drive chairperson Nancy Walker assures parents each year that the project has continued for decades, and “we’ve always had enough.” But the parents line up anyway, she said.

This year, gifts were provided for “a little over 400 children,” Walker said.

Women at First Baptist Church, across the street from the senior center, arrived at 5 p.m. to serve coffee and hot chocolate and open the church’s restrooms for the weary parents, and when the toy drive doors opened a few hours later “all the tables were stacked high” with gifts to give the parents for their children, Walker said.

This year, for each of their children, parents could choose three gifts, plus a sack of candy and a stocking containing an apple, orange, popcorn ball and Rice Krispi treat. Each family also got a coloring book and crayons plus a game selected from the family table and what Walker called a “jelly sack” filled with peanut butter and jelly, crackers, and Kraft macaroni and cheese.

With donated funds, Walker bought 10 bicycles, 40 sled, plus tricycles and skateboards; a drawing determined who got the bikes, trikes and skateboard. Plus each parent got a choice of a $6 General Dollar gift card, a disposable camera or a sled.

“One of the gift cards had an extra $20 on it, so it was like a small lottery,” Walker said. “The woman who drew that card was tickled to death.”

Gainesville High School students offered free gift wrapping.

The project, operated by Walker and a small army of friends and volunteers, depends completely on donations from the community.

“The people in Ozark County are absolutely some of the kindest, most caring people anywhere,” Walker said. “Things are hard for a lot of people this year, and I was actually worried about being a little short. But people dug deep and made sure we had enough. Some gave more than they ever had before, and we appreciate it so much.”

After serving as Hootin an Hollarin chair, her other perennial job, and then organizing another successful toy drive, Walker is putting her feet up for a few days. But then, she says, “I’ll hit those after-Christmas sales and start all over again.”

To help with the 2013 effort, make checks payable to Ozark County Toy Drive and mail to Walker at HC3 Box 41, Gainesville, MO 65655.