Wright Memorial Physicians’ Group, Saint Luke’s Mercer County Clinic, and North Central Missouri College Athletic Department are again partnering to host a toy drive to benefit children in Grundy and Mercer counties. The 2nd annual toy drive will begin on Monday, November 20, and ends on Friday, December 15.
“We are so excited to partner for the second year in a row with our friends in the NCMC Athletic Department,” said Shane Lynch, practice manager at Wright Memorial Physicians’ Group and Saint Luke’s Mercer County Clinic. “The community stepped up last year and supported the event, so we knew we wanted to do it again. We collected over 400 items last year, and our goal is to exceed that number this year.”
The event will benefit children ages 2-17 years old. Toys will be donated to the Department of Social Services Children’s Division and Trenton Kiwanis Club for distribution. For health and safety concerns, only new toys will be accepted. Specific wish list items include learning books and toys for ages 1-3 years old, makeup, baby dolls, a football, toy trucks, nerf guns and Nerf ammo, Dr. Seuss books, comic books, and Nintendo Switch games, among other items.
Toys will be collected at three locations: NCMC’s Ketcham Community Center in Trenton, Wright Memorial Physicians’ Group in Trenton, and Saint Luke’s Mercer County Clinic in Princeton.
Additionally, attendees to the NCMC Pirates and Lady Pirates basketball games on Saturday, December 9, at the Ketcham Community Center will receive one free admission for every toy (minimum $5 in value) donated at the entry to the game. The Lady Pirates game begins at 2 p.m., followed by the Pirate men’s game at 4 p.m.
“I’m excited about kicking off the second year of this amazing event,” said Nathan Gamet, Athletic Director at North Central Missouri College. “We enjoy working together with other like-minded organizations in the community, and there’s nothing better than getting to bring some Christmas cheer to children in the region. We should have some great games at the Ketcham Center on December 9, so I hope we bring in a lot of toys and have a big crowd cheering on the Pirates and Lady Pirates. We’re honored to be a part of this special event.”
For questions about the toy drive, contact Shane Lynch at 660-358-5750.
