Another year over and another Infinite Toys For Tots in the record books. Although we didn’t get as many donations this year, reaching only 25 single donations, we did get a lot of great stuff donated. In fact, we actually got much more quantity donated through the donations than in year’s past. So I’ll go ahead and say we more or less reached our goal. I found that folks were much more generous this year in both their actual toy and monetary donations (as some people sent money directly to Toys For Tots in lieu of a physical donation) and I couldn’t be happier. Here’s a little menagerie of kindness, with photos from people who were willing to let me use their photos.
December was a rough month for me, so I was glad that so many were able to step up and donate this year. It gave me great pleasure, hectic as it can be at times, to go out and match donations from the great readers of Infinite Hollywood. Truly, you guys are the best. Sometimes you wonder if anyone is even hearing your pleas or reading your posts, but when you see people respond to your call to action and do some good by helping make less fortunate children have a better Christmas, it warms the cockles of my heart. Perhaps it warmed even the sub-cockle area, maybe in the liver… Maybe in the kidneys, maybe even in the colon, we don’t know.
Unfortunately I’ve been dragging my feet on updating about Infinite Toys For Tots, but since it’s almost Christmas I figure I had best update. I know a lot of you have been emailing me or sending me messages with donations, but haven’t seen the counter move. I’ve just been very swamped with other stuff to update the counter.
The good news is, I finally got her updated! Even better news is that we’ve reached 25 donations and I’ve matched them to make it a total of 50 donations! Most stores took up their Toys For Tots bins this weekend, so if you’re still looking to donate, make sure to visit their website: Toys For Tots Locations to find out if there’s anywhere around you that you can still donate.
Don’t forget you can do an online donation as well (several people have) and we’ll match you with one in return!
And for the sake of keeping things on the level, here’s a few photos of me out matching some donations. I didn’t take a photo for each one but I wanted to let you guys know that we’ve done some great work this year. I don’t know if we’ll reach our unofficial goal of 30 donations by Christmas, but we’ve come darn close and I must say some of the stuff folks have donated this year has been really great.
We also did our annual Angel Tree donations. I’ve mentioned this each year, but if you don’t know about the Angel Tree program, the basis is that you choose a needy kid (or a family) and buy them gifts. You don’t know anything about the person, other than their age, sex and a few of their wants. This year we upped ourselves to a family of three kids. Personally I like to do the younger kids, but our kids were a bit older this year. Older kids deserve a good Christmas too, though.
Huzzah, we finally got a donation. I knew as soon as December started that we’d see some donations roll in. Even though Toys For Tots starts in November at most stores, people don’t really think about it until the month of December. Sadly many locations take up their bins in mid-November or early December. In fact this weekend will see many of the Toys For Tots bins disappear.
The good news is that you still have time to donate! Our buddy Nathan sent in a great photo of his donation, which included some Ninja Turtles, a plush Oviraptor, some Disney Princess stuff and more! This weekend I’m going to head out and match Nathan’s donation with one of my own. That’s what Infinite Toys For Tots is all about. We double your donation by making one of our own each time you donate!
We’re looking for 30 donations this year, which would be a total of 60 donations! Can we do it? We’ll find out in 24 days.
In the meantime, check out the official rules and get your butt out there and donate to Toys For Tots.
Infinite Toys For Tots is back for a THIRD year! Last year we changed up how we did Infinite Toys For Tots and you guys stepped up big and donated some incredible stuff. We’re shooting for 30 donations again, just like we did last year. Can we make it once again? It’s time to put it to the test!
Starting today, until the 25th of December we’re challenging you, the thousands of Infinite Hollywood readers (and any other websites that would like to spread the word about our cause) to donate to Toys For Tots in any of your local locations or online. Rather then spend money on prizes, instead we’re going to MATCH every donation you report to Infinite Toys For Tots! Please note that many Toys For Tots drop boxes stop pickup at the END of November, so we have to act fast! Get those donations out now!
We will match your donation, with a donation (we will not necessarily be matching in monetary value or amount, simply in a donation, IE: You donate two Barbies, I may donate one GI Joe) and with your help we can give Santa Claus that extra hand he needs this year. All you need to do is send me proof that you donated, then we will double the donation by going out to donate to our local Toys For Tots each time you donate!
I’m hoping to have at least 30 donations, but last year we actually surpassed that goal with 31 donations in our little Infinite Toys For Tots drive… 30 is the goal this year, but infinite is the limit!
Here’s how to enter:
Take a picture of yourself donating to a Toys for Tots drop off box.
These include the Toys for Tots bins at local Toys R’ Us locations, as well as other areas.
Your photo doesn’t have to show your face, simply take a photo of you donating something. This is purely to prove a donation did occur, your photo will not be used or if it is, your face will be cropped out (unless you say you want to be pictured).
The second option is to send proof of an online cash donation to their website (they do send you a email receipt that can be forwarded). They take multiple forms of payment and your receipt will remain anonymous!
Your donations, amounts, names, faces and information will remain completely confidential. We will simply mark on our counter each time we receive notification of a donation and then we will go out and make a matching donation later that week.
All entries must be emailed to NewtonGimmick AT rocketmail.com!
If you don’t know where a Toys For Tots location is, check their website: Toys For Tots Locations and any Toys R Us or Babies R Us are considered to be “national” drop offs. I’m noticing a lot of Toys For Tots drop off boxes as local grocery stores, Dollar Tree locations and even Old Navy has boxes in their stores. If you can’t find one, check the actual Toys For Tots website and it should give you someone local to contact.
Conversely, you can donate cash online. This is a SUPER easy way to share the love this holiday season. They take every sort of form of payment, including PayPal. Forward the receipt to my email address (NewtonGimmick AT Rocketmail.com) above and you can also be entered in the contest. A lot of people are choosing to enter this way. You can do this every day up until the 25th of December. DO IT NOW! Every donation counts, no matter if its only a $5 or $10 amount. The idea is to help needy kids. Every little bit goes towards that.
Wow, I wasn’t sure we were going to make our total this year, but a last minute surge really put us over the line. Our goal this year was 30 donations, but we actually got 31! You guys rock! With your 30 donations and my 30 donation matches, we donated 60 times to Toys for Tots this year! How great is that?
Not only did we donate, you guys really pushed me to donate some great things because you guys donated some INCREDIBLE toys. Like the Imaginext deluxe dinosaur, wicked cool GI Joes, some awesome Hot Wheels and lots of cool Transformers and Godzilla toys. You guys are amazing and you’ve made Infinite Toys for Tots a huge success.
Here’s just a sampling of pictures that some of you guys sent in. I cut everyone’s head off, so nobody would feel embarrassed. Except for Wes out old pal from ScaryCrayon, cause he likes seeing his smiling face all over the internet! We also got lots of people sending in receipts that they made in donations directly to Toys for Tots. Our own Bill White sent in a generous receipt as well! We got great people working for a great goal!
I really appreciate all the donations and it was very tough to keep up with you guys. But I don’t know about you all, but it makes me feel very good that the toy loving community were able to get together and do this. I have high hopes for next year as well! Thanks again everyone!
It’s time for an Infinite Toys For Tots update! Great news everybody as we’re now up to 10 donations, which when doubled by me, is 20 donations! Some of the donations have been just a single toy, while some donations have been multiples! Every donation counts, no matter how big or how small… And I must say I’m overjoyed to see so much giving this year.
I’ve gotten a ton of photos, some receipts and even a video! You guys rock!
The drive will run until the 31st of December and remember we will match your donation, with a donation (we will not be matching in monetary value, simply in a donation). All you need to do is send me email proof that you donated (picture, reciept from the T4T Website, video, etc), then we will double the donation by going out to donate to our local Toys For Tots each time you donate!
For complete Infinite Toys For Tots 2011 Drive rules, visit the official page here: Infinite Toys For Tots 2011.
If you don’t know where a Toys For Tots location is, check their website: Toys For Tots Locations and any Toys R Us or Babies R Us are considered to be “national” drop offs. They remove their Toys For Tots bins on the 18th! So get to TRU as fast as you can as there is only 7 days left for their pickup!
Also WALGREENS has Toys For Tots bins at all their national locations as well. I’m not sure when they will collect their bins, but it’s probably around the same time. As well, you can make a cash donation via the Toys For Tots website.
Thus far we have managed to match every donation sent in… And this weekend I finally got around to taking some photos of us out matching those donations. Here’s some photos from Toys R Us and Walgreens, just to show you that you can donate at both locations.
These are just some of the gifts we’re giving, and proof that it’s not that hard to send in a photo of yourself donating. In the Toys R Us picture, I’m actually donating two sets of Ben 10 Legos and that big brown bag is full of stuffed animals (Winnie the Pooh, Shrek & whatever his lady Shrek is called and a Spider-man!) among other things. There was a creepy guy there watching me and trying to get in my photo, so apologies if I look less than enthusiastic in that one. If you’re donating plushes, I suggest putting them in a bag just so they don’t get damaged/stained etc.
We’re donating all sorts of toys for kids of all ages. Barbies, Hot Wheels, Star Wars, just try to donate something a kid would want. If you don’t know what kids like this year, just think of something you’d want, or go with a classic like Legos or Barbies!
Also a heartfelt thanks to Bill White Cartoons for several shout outs about our little drive, as well as Toys Are Cool, Parry Game Preserve, and any website that has carried our banner for the Infinite Toys For Tots drive this year. If you’d like to give our contest a plug, please do and let us know you did!