About 4,500 toys and $8,500 in cash were collected during the 26th annual Northwest Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Toy Drive, which was up from last year, event chairperson Sharon Reineri said.
In 2020, a total of 3,500 toys and $4,000 in cash were collected, she said.
Reineri said she was excited about collecting more this year.
“It was overwhelming knowing we have such a giving community,” she said.
She said some of the donations were collected at a drive-thru event on Dec. 9. In addition, collection barrels were set up at local businesses, and local first responders collected donations outside stores during the Thanksgiving weekend.
“We collected several truckloads of toys,” Reineri said.
The drive-thru was held at the former House Springs Lions Club, where about 30 people dropped off toys and about $1,000 was collected, she said.
Reineri said the cash donations will be used to buy toys. Then, all the toys will be turned over to the High Ridge and Cedar Hill fire protection districts, which will distribute them to local charities and families in need.
“We had a fair amount of stuffed animals (donated). A giant stuffed sock monkey showed up (on Dec. 9),” she said. “A lot of bears, as usual, lots of Mr. Potato Heads.”
Reineri said science kits and fishing rods also were popular donations.
About a dozen bikes were donated, she added.
Reineri said cookies and hot chocolate were offered to people dropping off toys at the drive-thru event.
“We had Santa Claus outside, and that just attracted all kinds of folks to stop and donate money and get their picture made with Santa,” she said.
Reineri said the Grinch also was at the event.
Normally the chamber holds a toy drive event each Christmas season, with everyone bringing at least one unwrapped toy, but that event has not been held since 2019 because of COVID-19.
Reineri said she hopes to bring back the holiday toy drive event in 2022.