Giving, fun on tap at toy drive
Kapco collecting for Kids2Kids
Except maybe at the North Pole, it might be difficult to find more new soon-to-be delivered toys in one place than at Kapco Inc. in Grafton this Saturday.
By the end of the day, the metal fabricating and stamping business will be the temporary home for as many as 20,000 toys that are being collected for its 11th Annual Kids2Kids Christmas at Kapco Toy Drive.
The toys will be given to the Salvation Army and other nonprofit organizations that will get them to needy children for Christmas.
During the free event Saturday at Kapco, which runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1000 Badger Circle, hundreds of families will drop off new, unwrapped toys for children in need. The toys will be added to almost 15,000 that already have been generated by drives and efforts throughout the metro area.
A caravan of police and fire vehicles will arrive at Kapco about 10 a.m. Saturday with up to 30 police and firefighters who raised money, and then took their families out to shop for kids whose households can’t afford good toys. Saturday’s event will feature reindeer, wagon rides, carolers, ice carving, hot chocolate, a large heated tent and more.
“It really is a magical Christmas event, and it’s fun for all ages,” Kapco spokesman Neil Willenson said Friday. “People can bring a new unwrapped toy. But it’s free of charge and they can just be part of this celebration of giving.”
With the event staged on what’s forecast to be a day of snowfall, Willenson said he’s hoping an expected let-up in the snow occurs while the Kids2Kids extravaganza is taking place.
“We want people to be safe, but right now it’s full speed ahead come snow or sun,” he said.
Willenson said the quality of toys donated to the Kids2Kids drive has improved over the years, and now includes items such as Star Wars toys and new bicycles.
“Someone just dropped off three $50 Lego sets — each set is $50,” Willenson said. “These are very high-quality, brandname toys.”
Willenson said the best thing about the event is that children become involved in picking out toys and buying them for other children.
“It’s children helping children, and that’s a pretty rare effort,” he said.
Since the program began in 2006, more than 140,000 toys have been collected and distributed to low-income families, Kapco said. Kapco partners with WTMJ radio and the Salvation Army for the toy drive.
“It’s children helping children, and that’s a pretty rare effort.” NEIL WILLENSON KAPCO SPOKESMAN