The WGN Morning News Drive-Thru Toy Drive will be celebrating its 21st year!  On Friday, December 8 from 5am – 10am, viewers are invited to drive up and drop off a new, unwrapped toy at the WGN-TV Studios, located at 2501 W. Bradley Place in Chicago (near Addison & Western).  Toy donations will be accepted December 7-10th at participating Jewel-Osco locations.  This year’s toy drive will benefit Christmas in the Wards and Off the Street Club.

MONETARY DONATIONS ARE ALSO WELCOME!

Via WGN-TV Family Charities, a McCormick Foundation fund, all donations will be matched at 50 cents on the dollar.  With WGN-TV and the Foundation paying all campaign and administrative expenses, 100% of all donations, plus the match, are granted to qualified nonprofit organizations.  WGN-TV will accept financial donations through December 31, 2023.

TO MAKE A FINANCIAL DONATION – Viewers are encouraged to donate at:

EARLY BIRD DONATIONS:

Starting at 5am, the first 100 viewers to bring new and unwrapped toys to the WGN-TV Studios on December 8 will receive a FREE Tom Skilling limited edition T-shirt (one T-shirt per vehicle).  Early attending viewers will also have a chance to get a pair of tickets to see Blue Man Group at the Briar Street Theatre or a free ride on the Happy Holiday Railway Santa Train at the Illinois Railway Museum  (one pair of tickets per vehicle, while supplies last; all decisions by WGN-TV are FINAL; other terms and conditions may apply).

The toy drive will feature Santa along with WGN Morning News’ Paul Konrad, Dean Richards, Ana Belaval, Morgan Kolkmeyer, Marcus Leshock and fun-filled holiday activities, including performances by the Selah St. Sabina Youth Choir of Chicago and the Canterbury Carollers. 

JEWEL-OSCO STORE LOCATIONS TO DONATE A NEW, UNWRAPPED TOY FROM DECEMBER 7-10:

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               WGN-TV Family Charities, a McCormick Foundation fund, is focused on creating opportunities for children and families to help them fulfill their potential.  The charity hopes to bring awareness to various organizations and to enlist community support to help make a difference in the lives of families throughout the Chicago area.

From its beginning in 1996, Christmas in the Wards founding principles and guiding mission is service to the community and a helping hand to families in need during the Christmas season. Today, Christmas in the Wards and its supporting Wards 365 platform annually serves hundreds of Chicago communities and families, diversifying its giving programs and outreach to meet the needs and challenges of the time in the marginalized areas throughout the city. Families strive 365 days a year, yet the strains are felt most during the holiday season, collectively called “the most wonderful time of the year.” As disparities widen for so many, Christmas in the Wards’ mission deepens to bridge the gaps through clothing and essentials for families, laptops and tutoring services for students, food and nutrition support, and spectacular gifts from Santa to aid families, ease burdens, and spread the true spirit and meaning Christmas.

Off the Street Club is Chicago’s oldest boys and girls club, providing hope, play and ‘casual joy’ since 1900.  The Club currently serves more than 3,000 kids in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country, West Garfield Park.  Providing after-school activities, summer camps and events ‘where kids can be kids’, Off the Street Club’s motto is, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”  Every child seeking a safe place to go is welcome to join Off the Street Club for games, play and mentorship; it’s where ‘hope has a home.’

WGN-TV is Chicago’s Very Own source for news and entertainment and is owned and operated by Nexstar Media Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group, Inc.  WGN News programs more local news than any other Chicago TV station and can be seen on WGN-TV; the WGN+ TV streaming app on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV; online at WGNTV.com/Live and the WGN News mobile app.  In-depth local weather coverage is available on all newscasts, WGNTV.com/Weather and the WGN Weather mobile app.  WGN Films, part of WGN-TV, presents compelling and in-depth cinematic journalism that goes beyond the headlines to explore the stories and issues that affect Chicago area communities.  WGN 9.2 is the Chicago affiliate for Nexstar Media Inc.’s classic TV network Antenna TV, WGN 9.3 is the Chicago affiliate for Grit, WGN 9.4 is the Chicago affiliate for Nexstar Media Inc.’s retro TV network Rewind TV, and WGN 9.5 is the Chicago affiliate for TBD.  For more information on Chicago’s Very Own WGN-TV, go to WGNTV.com