Making a List
Santa’s Toy Box enters

By Scott Nicholson and Melanie Davis

Spreading holiday cheer is as simple as putting a smile on a young face.

Santa’s Toy Box brightened the holidays for 818 children last year, touching 403 families.

Gene Swift, who co-chairs the Boone Optimist Club’s Santa’s Toy Box effort, said he anticipated an equal amount of families this year.

Recommendations have come from the Watauga County Department of Social Services, churches, schools, and OASIS.

Contributions to Santa’s Toy Box should be unwrapped, new toys. Families will be invited to “shop” for presents.

Each child will receive books and three to four new toys valued at about $50, and the organizers are seeking donations of about 4,000 toys.

Toys can be dropped off at Southern States Subaru, First Citizen’s Bank, High Country Press, Ross Chrysler-Plymouth, Charter Communications, Watauga Opportunities, Boone Police Department, Ferguson Bath Kitchen & Lighting or High Country Host. Appalachian State University also conducted a toy drive that ended Tuesday.

All types of toys and books for ages 6 months through 15 are welcome, Swift said.

Batteries have also been donated.

“We are still taking monetary donations any time, and we’re taking donations of toys up until Dec. 18,” Swift said.

Monetary donations can be mailed to Santa’s Toy Box, P.O. Box 1337, Boone NC 28607.

The pick-up site is the old Ferguson Enterprises building on George Wilson Road in Boone. Families are invited through various community agencies and get a letter telling them what time to come and pick up toys. Pick-up begins Dec. 11 and continues through Dec. 18.

Santa’s Toy Box began through the Deerfield United Methodist Church and Boone Jaycees in 1986.

The Optimist Club, Boone Kiwanis Club, Deerfield Methodist Church and Boone Advent Christian Church are the main organizers of the toy drive.