Help Fulfill Kids' Christmas Wishes At Bark Park Toy Drives

By Terry Hood, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- A desperate plea from the Salvation Army, one week remains until the Salvation Army distributes toys for its Angel Tree program and they say the shelves are almost bare.

The Salvation Army is desperate for donations to help fulfill the Christmas wishes of more than 11,000 Tulsa children.

"Normally these shelves would be overflowing," Sallie Godwin, Salvation Army, said.

Donations are down. The shelves, typically, would be full of toys and hope is wearing thin.

"I'm nervous, I'm praying," said Tracy Hamilton, Salvation Army.

In one week, 11,400 children will be counting on the Salvation Army to stuff their stockings but there is a problem, they do not have enough toys.

The toy drives are this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Joe Station Dog Park, which is two miles west of downtown on Charles Page Boulevard and at Biscuit Acres in Hunter Park which is on 91st Street between Sheridan and Yale.

This is just one of three rooms of boxes the Salvation Army needs to fill and many of them are still completely empty.

Related Story 12/10/2009: Salvation Army Makes Plea For Toys

The toys on the shelves act as backup for the kids who don't get adopted by a family but the Salvation Army is worried that time is running out and some kids may go home empty handed

"If this is all we have and there's nothing in here when some families come, I am scared that we will not have anything to give them," Hamilton said.

To help bridge the gap, some Tulsa dog lovers are becoming Santa's helpers.

They are holding a toy drive at Tulsa's two dog parks this Saturday and asking residents to bring a new unwrapped toy.

"We're not limiting it to just dog lovers, everybody's welcome to come out and enjoy the parks," said Morgan Blevins, Toy Drive Organizer.

"It's great, we really need it," Hamilton said.

Hamilton is thankful for the various toy drives and says those good deeds are what gives her faith that Tulsans will pull through.

"God is good and so are the people of Tulsa and I have a lot of hope that this Christmas is going to be a good one for all the kids in Tulsa and for all the kids that applied with us will get something, that is my hope," Hamilton said.

Salvation Army of Tulsa