Salvation Army ‘Fill the Truck’ Toy Drive

PERE MARQUETTE TWP. – Walmart and The Salvation Army announced today the second annual Fill the Truck Toy Drive, which will bring hundreds of thousands of toys to children across the country. The toy drive kicks off on Nov. 29 and is part of Walmart’s long-standing partnership with The Salvation Army, which also includes the iconic red kettle campaign.

The Fill the Truck Toy Drive will take place on select weekends starting Nov. 29 and ending Dec. 15 in 1,600 stores across the country. Collection bins will also be located inside 3,500 Walmart stores during the entire three week period. Customers will be able to drop off new, unwrapped toys at the trucks or in the bins through Dec. 7.

“The holidays are a time for gifting, and a time for giving,” said Scott McCall, senior vice president of toys and seasonal at Walmart U.S. “We think every child should have something under their Christmas tree. Our hope is that the Fill the Truck toy drive will help bring holiday cheer to hundreds of thousands of children across the country.”

“Walmart has been such a big supporter of The Salvation Army and we are so appreciative of all the hard work they put into Fill the Truck,” Said Maj. Ron Busroe, national community relations and development secretary for The Salvation Army. “This year, Fill the Truck is reaching even more customers and our hope is to provide more children with a Christmas toy that they would not receive otherwise.”

The Fill the Truck toy drive is part of Walmart’s more than 40-year partnership with The Salvation Army. This year, the Walmart Foundation donated $1 million dollars to The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign, which will be applied to The Salvation Army feeding programs nationwide. In addition, Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs will host The Salvation Army’s red kettles and bell ringers between Nov. 29 and Dec. 24, 2013. Last year, Walmart and Sam’s Club helped The Salvation Army raise nearly $45 million—or 30 percent of the total amount raised during the campaign.  All donations made to the red kettles remain in the local communities in which they are collected, and will help The Salvation Army provide food, clothing, shelter, financial assistance and other services to roughly 30 million people this year.

Walmart’s partnership with The Salvation Army is just one example of how Walmart gives back during the holiday season. Walmart also launched its “Holiday Salute to Military Families” on Veteran’s Day. The initiative provides a total of $1.5 million in support to Operation Homefront and Fisher House to help spread holiday joy to our nation’s heroes and their families. The donation will provide toys, meals and lodging assistance to those military families in greatest need of support this year, while also helping to reunite active duty service members with their loved ones, just in time for the holidays.