The University of Illinois Office of Volunteer Programs has teamed up with Cunningham’s Children Home in Urbana for this year’s OVP Holiday Toy Drive. Perfect excuse to partake in some retail therapy, boost the economy, and buy something for a good cause for a recipient who may very well appreciate it more than the average person on your gift list.
Keep in mind that the toy drive is for 9 to 12 years old kids. The OVP has a very helpful list of suggested donation items and what to steer clear of:
• Checkers and Chess Sets
• Minecraft Items
• Marvel Action Heroes Items
• Star Wars Items
• Lego Sets (not Duplo)
• Magnetix Building Sets
• Levels 1 &2 Models (cars, planes, trucks) and model paints
• Transformers or GI Joe Action Figures
• Toy Vehicles and Machines
• Playing Cards
• Young Adult Books
• Bike Accessories
• Soccer Balls, Basketballs, Footballs
• Modeling Clay (no Play-Doh)
• Card Games (Uno, Skip-Bo, Phase 10)
• Board Games (Jenga, Othello, Risk, Trouble, Taboo)
• Toy Vehicles & Machines
• Construction Paper, Pens
• Sketch Pads and Drawing Pencils
• Tie-Dye Sets
• Manicure Kits/Nail Polish
• Building Toys (Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs)
• Friendship Bracelet Kits
• Bead Art & Loom Bracelet Kits
• Young Adult Jewelry/Watches/Necklaces
• Winter Pajamas
• Winter Hats and Ski Gloves
DO NOT BUY:
• ITEMS THAT ENCOURAGE VIOLENCE (e.g. guns or figures with guns, swords, laser swords, etc.)
• NOTHING SUGGESTING RACIAL/GENDER STEREOTYPES OR SUBSTANCE USE
You can drop off the donations at various place on campus through Friday, December 6th.
• Office of Volunteer Programs, Illini Union Room 288, M-F from 9am-5pm
• College of Law, 504 E. Pennsylvania Avenue
• College of Media, Gregory Hall Room 18
• College of Engineering, 1308 W. Green Street
• College of Medicine & Academic Programs and Service, 506 S. Mathews
• College of Fine and Applied Arts (Music), Architecture Building, 608 Lorado Taft Drive
• The Career Center, 715 S. Wright St.
• Parking Center, 509 E. Healey Street
• Gies College of Business, 515 E. Gregory Drive, Room 1055 BIF
• Siebel Computer Science Center, 201 N. Goodwin Avenue, Room 2232
• Illinois Human Resources, 807 S. Wright St., 420 Illini Union Bookstore.
Photo by Hamid Raza