Argyle resident Melissa Killebrew and her family recently organized a holiday party during which she collected toy donations for the drive. There were over a 100 guests at the party and she received a large amount of donations.
A week prior to the party Killebrew and her neighbor Kori Werth organized a hot chocolate stand that was run by some of the children in the neighborhood. The stand raised more than $700, allowing the community to purchase toy donations for children in need.
Scott Windham, network engineer II with IT Shared Services and one of the co-chairs of the drive, says the Killebrew family along with Werth have gone above and beyond to help.
“Melissa first called me back in November and had heard of our efforts at UNT and was looking for a place to donate some of the toys she collected at her holiday party,” Windham says. “Then the children got involved with their hot chocolate stand and raised so much money, it truly shows how amazing the community is.”
The Staff Senate works in partnership with WFAA's annual Santa's Helpers Toy Drive to collect new and unwrapped toys for children in need.
“There would be many children in our community who would not otherwise have a gift to open if it wasn't for the generosity of so many around campus and the community,” Windham says. “This allows UNT to further be involved in the community that has supported us since 1890.”
The final day to donate to the drive is Dec. 13. Donation boxes are placed in all major buildings on campus, so that no one misses an opportunity to give.
“This effort impacts both the giver and the receiver in so many ways,” says Windham. “I really enjoy the fact that this truly makes a difference and impacts so many lives.”
— Caylin Gibson, Web Content Student Assistant, University Relations, Communications and Marketing
