Toys for a cause

The holiday season is a time full of giving and helping those in need. Quality Time Holiday Child, a fundraiser the school has participated in for the past 25 years, is yet again starting up the week of November 18th.

Holiday Child is an important fundraiser that allows children to receive presents on Christmas and each QT is given the opportunity to participate in the fundraiser. Quality Times that sign up are given a tag that includes a child’s name and list of toys that could be donated. The tags are distributed randomly to teachers and the children’s ages range from 0-18.

“It was started by the Student Council the first or second year the building opened.” Student Council sponsor Ali Bragg said. “Student Council decided to offer this as a way to give back to our community and it quickly became very popular and something the students and staff really got behind and loved to do.”

The Salvation Army calls the fundraiser by a different name, the Angel Tree Toy Drive. In past years the fundraiser has allowed thousands of families across the Omaha metro area to receive gifts. New toys that are purchased can be unwrapped and placed in donation boxes that can be found throughout the community.

Angel Tree donors provide the necessary resources for The Salvation Army’s Toyland Days, which will be held in December. Low-income families shop for their children during this annual toy distribution event. This allows low-income parents to still buy presents for their children but at a lower price.

According to the Salvation Army’s website, the fundraiser has been helping local low-income families and children since they began serving in Omaha for 130 years. The organization also offers many different volunteer opportunities including ringing bells and Winter Night Watch.

The website also says that over 100 local businesses take part in the annual fundraiser and Millard West is one of the biggest contributors. KMTV 3 News Now and Jensen Tire & Auto is a toy drop off location this year and there are more listed on their website.

“Student Council does it every year to help kids that don’t have a chance to have a good Christmas,” sophomore Peyton Busteed said. “It’s good to get students involved because they can get a chance to give to kids that don’t have as much as them.” 

The fundraiser will run through the rest of November into the early weeks of December. The toys will then be collected and sent out to the Salvation Army. This fundraiser plays an important part in many families’ holidays.