By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
With all the holiday specials taking place this weekend, it is the perfect time to snatch up a couple of toys for the Wyoming Gives Back event.
For the past 10 years, the City of Wyoming has hosted the Wyoming Gives Back event. This year, due to COVID, the event will be broadcast live on WKTV Comcast Chanel 25 and AT&T U-verse Channel 99 at 7 p.m. Dec. 3. Mayor Jack Poll and Michele DeSelms from WOOD TV8 will emcee the program. The WKTV’s Facebook page and wktv.org will be live streaming the event as well.
Area residents have until Nov. 30 to drop off a toy to one of five collection sites in the city. When they drop off an unwrapped, new toy, residents will receive one raffle ticket per new toy just like in past events. On Dec. 3, the raffle drawing will take place with winning raffle numbers being announced. Winners will pick up their items form Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW.
Wyoming Gives Back drop-off locations are:
Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW, small toys, puzzle box-size or smaller, will be accepted at the drive-thru, all others will be by appointment only
Marge’s Donut Den, 1751 28th St. SW, Monday – Saturday, 4 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday, 6 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Pizza Hut, 132 28th St. SW., Monday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Godwin Plumbing & Hardware, 3703 S. Division Ave., Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Russo’s Pizza, 1760 44th St. SW, Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Sunday 3 – 10 p.m.
“We decided to participate last year and did it again this year because we love to help and support our community,” said Katie DeBoer with Godwin Plumbing & Hardware, one of this year’s collection sites.
Last year, more than 800 toys were collected for donation, and it appears that this year’s event is on its way to meet last year’s goal with Marge’s Donut Den reporting it had already collected more than 200 toys.
Last year, the event raffled more than $4,000 in prizes and city staff have said they have some great prizes for this year’s event as well. But to be entered into the raffle, a resident must drop off a toy by Nov. 30.
Also as part of the fun, Wyoming Gives Back has added a Santa’s Kids Coloring Contest. Area students will be able to submit coloring pages or drawings for a chance to win a prize. Templates can be downloaded from the event webpage. Santa will be attending the live Dec. 3 broadcast, answering phone calls from area children and will be announcing the winners of the coloring contest.
For more about Wyoming Gives Back, visit the event page.
