Tulsa Dream Center Asking For Donations For Annual Toy Drive

The Tulsa Dream Center is asking Black Friday shoppers to pick up toys for their annual toy drive next month.

They’re hoping to give out 6,000 toys to boys and girls across Tulsa.

People can take new toys to the Dream Center, where they will be wrapped and given to boys and girls on their distribution day.

Tim Newton, the Executive Director of the Tulsa Dream Center, says he and the other employees are excited about this year’s drive.

"This is like the 'Super Bowl' of the Dream Center,” said Newton. “This is our big event. And we love to see the whole entire city come out and be a part of it.”

Newton says he wants every kid in Tulsa to get something during the holidays.

"I know how it feels to go without something for Christmas, and I don't want that to happen to any boy or girl in our city, so I want to make sure that every boy has an opportunity to receive something," said Newton.

He says receiving something is important, but so is giving.

"The joy of giving is amazing, and so I want to be able to extend the opportunity to other people as well like you know that you made an impact in some boy or girl's life this holiday season," said Newton.

Newton says the reactions from the kids once they find out the present they got, is worth every penny.

"Just the faces, I love the smiles,” said Newton. “I love watching them open it up while they're in the back seat of their cars. It's really just exciting to see because they don't know what it is, and we don't know what it is, and so I'm handing it to them, like they don't know, we don't know, and they open it up and it's like ahhh! And so seeing the reaction is absolutely amazing."

He hopes Black Friday shoppers will take some extra time to pick out something for the kids.

"When you're out Black Friday shopping I just want to encourage everyone to go out and buy a toy and bring it to the Tulsa Dream Center,” Newton said. “Or you may be shopping on Amazon, you can search Tulsa Dream Center and you can find our wishlist on the Tulsa Dream Center wishlist, and you can buy a toy off of our wishlist and it can be shipped straight to the Tulsa Dream Center as well,” said Newton.

The drive starts on December 4th with the Toy Run, which invites motorcyclists to carry toys from the Gathering Place to the Dream Center to kick off the drive.

The distribution day is on December 17th, and no preregistration is required to receive toys.