Each year, Santa and the Elves provide Christmas for several Variety partner agencies, giving hundreds of children what is possibly the only gift they receive that holiday season. With the help of Schnucks associates, they load up the trolley with sacks of gifts, then Santa and the Elves climb aboard and travel to the Forest Park Visitor Center to deliver the toys.
Toys are provided primarily by SITE Improvement Association Inc., a professional organization of contractors in the St. Louis area, which collects toys in conjunction with its annual holiday party. Others donating toys are Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, Triton Company and Variety Women, a committee of Variety the Children's Charity of St. Louis. Additional funding for toys is provided by individual donors who contribute to a special appeal at Variety's Allocations Luncheon.
In preparation for the toy distribution, Schnucks associates volunteer their time to sort and wrap the gifts -- more than 300 this year -- including a special stocking stuffer for each child. Schnucks also sends each agency a gift card to be used for holiday party food and supplies.
Ten agencies participated in the 2008 Toy Trolley -- Almost Home, Central Institute for the Deaf, Child Center-Marygrove, Crider Health Center, Lemay Child and Family Center, Northside Community Center, Our Little Haven, St. Martin's Child Center, St. Vincent Home for Children and William M. BeDell Achievement.
Click here to see more photos from the 2006 Schnucks Toy Trolley!
Click
here to see more photos from the 2007 Schnucks Toy Trolley!
Click
here to see more photos from the 2008 Schnucks Toy Trolley!