Trending
HANCOCK -- It's December now, and that means the annual Cheer Club toy collection partnership between the Daily Mining Gazette and the Salvation Army has begun.
Susan Verville, Salvation Army case worker, said parents have to sign up at the Hancock office on Ravine Street to determine eligibility for their children to receive toys. Those eligible will be given a time to come to the office on Dec. 20 so their children can select a toy.
Donated toys should be left unwrapped so age appropriateness can be determined, Verville said.
"We can put them on the table according to age," she said.
Verville said Cheer Club is important for helping the Salvation Army with it's toy donation program.
"It helps us getting gifts out to the community," she said. "We depend on it very much."
Verville said the last day to donate toys is Dec. 16.
Sara Perrault, SA kettle coordinator, said toys for children for ages newborn to 16 years old, can be dropped off at Family Dollar in Hancock and Calumet, Shopko and Walmart in Houghton, the Michigan Tech Credit Union on Sharon Avenue, and Dairy Queen in Houghton.
Perrault said the Salvation Army is also collecting winter boots and coats of all sizes to be distributed to people in need. Those items can be dropped off at radio station WMPL, Grace United Methodist Church and at the Salvation Army office, all located in Hancock.
The Daily Mining Gazette is located at 206 Shelden Ave. in Houghton. The address for the Salvation Army is 408 Ravine St. in Hancock.
Gazette Publisher Michael Scott said the paper has been involved with Cheer Club for many years.
"We're honored to be able to do this once again," he said. "It's something we look forward to each year. We've been doing this for more than a decade."