Home Holiday Spotlight On: #DWYD Presents: 4th Annual Toy & Book Drive for Children’s Hospital

Spotlight On: #DWYD Presents: 4th Annual Toy & Book Drive for Children’s Hospital

by Miracle

DWYD Toy Drive Poster15-Web (eng)(Photo By Joshua Scarver)

‘Tis the season of giving as Christmas is right around the corner. Keeping in that holiday spirit, Milwaukee’s own Joshua Scarver (#DWYD) is in the midst of his fourth annual toy & book drive in conjunction with Children’s Hospital and The Child Protection Center. Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin is the region’s only independent health care system dedicated solely to the health and well-being of children and is recognized as one of the leading pediatric health care centers in the United States. The Child Protection Center is a division of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. It is a safe place where children can go to talk about the abuse and get medical care and counseling. In addition they provide child abuse assessments, referrals, health checks and more. Further information on these two organizations can be found here.

The collection of toys & books are set to be distributed to neglected and mistreated children and hopefully bring some smiles to the faces of said children. The drive is inspired by the tragic scenarios that Joshua Scarver has witnessed in the youth of the community. His hope is to provide a little relief from the extended trauma that such treatment tends to have on these children. Additionally, he wants to encourage people to acknowledge the epidemic of child abuse as he feels that it is a problem that gets swept under the rug due to its controversial nature. He contends that no child should be the subject of ill treatment under any circumstances and thus he has made it one of his missions to shed some light on this matter as well as the needs of the children who suffer because of it.

The drive is a small gesture with the potential to make a big difference during the holiday season. In 2014, the drive generated around 550 items within just 30 days. This year Mr. Scarver aims to double that donation total and has coined a campaign entitled #1000ToysAndBooksDWYD. So far, the drive has taken in over 150 items. There are three new drop-off points that have been added this year to help this goal come into fruition (See above flyer for drop off locations).

For those who can’t make it to a drop off site but want to still support, there is a P.O. Box available along with the options to schedule a pick-up or donate money. Info on these alternate donation methods, more details pertaining to the drive itself, and contact info for all other inquiries can be found via the official Event Page. Any efforts towards aiding in this cause will go a long way in providing the affected youth with some much needed holiday cheer. The drive will run until December 23rd. The Illixer definitely plans on giving a little something this year. It is our hope that our peers within the urban entertainment community will follow our lead. Even if it’s just by sharing this post, every effort counts. -MinM

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