One Net Yelm, a nonprofit organization that aims to support causes in the greater Yelm area, is partnering with seven local businesses to spread joy this holiday season with its second annual toy drive from Nov. 12 through Dec. 6.
While the event has existed in some form in previous holiday seasons, One Net Yelm is focused on providing gifts to children specifically in Yelm, and the support from businesses is new this year. Toys can be delivered to one of the drop-off locations listed below and will be donated to Yelm Community Schools and Yelm Community Services to benefit local families.
Bliss Experience Salon,
35025 90th Ave. Suite 7, Roy
Country Financial, 6050 Pacific Ave. SE Suite F, Lacey
Dancing Needles Tattoo, 9144 Burnett Road SE A204, Yelm
Tad Stillwell Agency,
110 Prairie Park St. NE, Yelm
Yelm Senior Center,
Get Fit Yelm, 103 93rd Ave. SE, Yelm
J&I Power Equipment,
16510 106th Ave. SE, Yelm
Once toys are collected, the drive will culminate with a free movie showing of “Elf” at Yelm Cinemas on Saturday, Dec. 14, and One Net Yelm asks that attendees bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to children in need for entry. Doors open at 9:15 a.m. with the movie starting at 10 a.m., and children in attendance will receive a free kids pack. The Knights of Columbus will also be in attendance with free coats for kids, made possible by their Coats for Kids Car Show in June. Buddy the Elf and Jovie will be in attendance, and Santa Claus will make a visit, as well.
One Net Yelm collected 200 toys last year, and President Line Roy believes the drive will generate many more because of the buy-in from local businesses.
“We reached out to a couple of businesses just to see if they could be drop-off locations, and they just went wild with it. They created competitions between the businesses on their own without any prodding from us,” she said. “That’s super cool to see. They’re trying to see who can bring in the most toys or who can put their toys in the biggest cars.”
To learn more about the toy drive and the movie event, visit One Net Yelm’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/onenetyelm.
