Saoirse Dove and Spanish Immersion Principal Gabe Costa display some of the new toys Saoirse has collected for Nationwide Children’s Hospital. A first-grader at the Spanish Immersion School is all about toys this holiday season – but not for herself.
Saoirse Dove, 6, is collecting new toys for patients at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. Her effort is a community service project through her participation in American Heritage Girls.
Staff and students already have made some donations. Public donations of new, unwrapped toys are welcome too.
“I’m going to decorate a box to put them in. I love decorating,” Saoirse said Friday.
Principal Gabe Costa said collections at the school will continue until Friday morning, Dec. 9. That’s when the toys will be delivered to the hospital.
The following information is from Nationwide Children’s:
Each year during the holidays, Nationwide Children’s receives countless phone calls and emails from the community asking about donating toys to patients. A gift of toys, games or activity supplies can make a big difference to children and families spending time in the hospital, especially during the holidays.
While donations of food or clothing cannot be accepted, the following items are ideal:
Toddler toys - Especially those that are musical and/or light-up (all plastic please)
Lego sets (small and medium sizes)
Teethers/rattles
Medical toy kits
Little Tikes & Fisher Price action structures
DVD’s (PG-13, no R please)
Art supplies (crayons, markers, color pencils, scissors) & coloring books
Play-Doh and Play-Doh kits
Gift cards
New or gently used children’s books-Brand new stuffed animals with tags still attached
Cash donations to support the Child Life Fund
All donated items should not be wrapped.
Because of concerns regarding infection control and allergies, the hospital cannot accept used toys or used stuffed animals, including toys or stuffed animals that have never been played with, but have been in a home as part of a collection.
For more information on the appropriate types of toys and gifts Nationwide Children’s can accept, please click on the following link:
www.nationwidechildrens.org/wish-list-for-donations