Polk County Toys for Tots is having a record-setting year for donations and volunteers, as demonstrated by the planned distribution of 1,000 bikes for families in need of toys for the holidays.
A bicycle under the Christmas tree is the top item on families’ wish lists to Santa Claus, the organization’s executive director, Angela Davis, said. “In a typical year, we provide only a few hundred – this year’s increase is extraordinary.”
Last year was one of the best years on record for Polk County Toys for Tots, and 2025 is set to match last year, she said.
1,000 bicycles: A first for Polk’s Toys for Tots
Calling it the “Bike Blast,” signups for a chance to get a bicycle will start at 8 a.m. on Nov. 27 on the Polk County Toys For Tots website and closes at noon Nov. 29.
How to Apply:
Bike applications follow the same process and requirements as regular toy applications, a process that closed on Nov. 7. For those applications, toy distribution has already begun.
Families selected for a bike through a lottery system will be notified starting Dec. 4. Applications will be handled online only. All bike pickups will take place at the organization’s Auburndale warehouse.
CWI Logistics donates 20,000 square feet of space for the organization’s operation, making it possible to run the program
Davis said all bikes come with a helmet. Many bikes are already assembled. Families can also take them home in a box or there will be volunteers helping to assemble them in the warehouse pickup location.
The lottery system matches bike sizes and genders to available inventory. Email notifications will include pickup dates, times and the warehouse address.
Toys for Tots set record-breaking year in 2024
Operations begin on Oct. 1 each year, the official start date for Toys for Tots nationally.
“Although the season started off rough, community support surged,” Davis said. “We ended up with the highest monetary donations and toy collections in our history. This incredible success is due entirely to the generosity of Polk County businesses and individuals.
“We served over 15,000 children and distributed over 55,000 toys; or over 100,000 items when you include stocking stuffers, she added. The organization serves kids from birth to age 12.
Due to the unmatched generosity and compassion shown this year by the community, the all-volunteer Polk County Toys for Tots was able to serve more children than ever before, Davis said.
Further, the organization has also been able to expand and help other nonprofits.
Anyone wanting to be a drop box collection site to assist must register online, even if they have had a box in the past.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk Toys for Tots is giving away a record 1,000 bikes. Here’s how to apply
Reporting by Paul Nutcher, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
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