Overland Park, Kan. — The Overland Park Convention Center is calling on the Kansas City community to help make a difference in the lives of over 48,000 local children in need by participating in its annual Toys for Tots drive. The donation drive will run through mid-December, encouraging residents to donate new, unwrapped toys as early as possible for this worthy cause.
As the largest donation center in the region, the Overland Park Convention Center serves as a central hub every year for the local Marine Toys for Tots in Kansas City. Last year’s drive the convention center collected over 26,000 toys, helping to serve 48,000 less fortunate children in the Kansas City region. This year, with an estimated 48,000 children in need, the convention center aims to surpass last year’s contributions with the community’s help.
Gy. Sgt. Erasmo Galaviz, the Kansas City Region Toys for Tots Marine Coordinator, shared, “We’ve experienced significant shortages in years past, but thanks to the incredible support from the Overland Park Convention Center and the Kansas City community, we managed to meet our goals in the final stretch. This year, we’re reaching out early, hoping for your generous support to ensure a smoother and more fulfilling holiday season for these deserving children.”
How You Can Help
- Dates: Now – December 12, 2024
- Location: Overland Park Convention Center, 6000 College Boulevard, Overland Park, KS 66211
- Drop-off Instructions: Donations can be made at the main entrance off of 110th Street, where directional signage will guide donors to the drop-off area. To make donating easier for everyone, donation boxes will also be available at all entrances to the convention center.
Toys for Tots assists children up to age 17. Items to consider for pre-teens and teens include, but are not limited to, sporting equipment, bags, balls, books, backpacks, cosmetics, purses,watch/wallet gift sets, bath gift sets, board games, radio control cars and trucks, hand-held electronics, skateboards/helmets, curling irons, hair straighteners, and hair dryers.
“We’re truly grateful for the generosity our community shows year after year,” said Brett C. Mitchell, General Manager of the Overland Park Convention Center. “We’ve set an ambitious goal for 2024, and we know that with Kansas City’s continued support, we can reach it and provide hope to thousands of children.”
Every toy donated at the Overland Park Convention Center will be distributed to children in the Kansas City area, ensuring that local families directly benefit from the donations. The partnership between the convention center and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program has made a significant difference in the community for over 10 years.
“Toys for Tots helps create a magical holiday season for children who may otherwise go without,” said Mitchell. “We encourage families, businesses, and individuals to come together this holiday season to make an impact.”
For more information on how to donate and support the Toys for Tots drive, call (913) 339-3000 or visit https://opconventioncenter.com/toys.
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About Overland Park Convention Center
The award-winning Overland Park Convention Center opened in November of 2002 on a 26-acre site in the heart of Overland Park, the largest suburban city in the Kansas City metropolitan and the second largest city in Kansas. Adorned with over sixty original works of are and equipped with state-of-the-art communications systems, the 245,000 square floor complex features a 60,000 sq. ft. exhibit hall that connects to the 25,000 sq. ft. Edwin C. Eilert Ballroom and 15,000 sq. ft. of meeting room space. Natural light radiates throughout the unusually spacious (44,000 sq. ft.) pre-function and registration areas. Among the convention centers many awards, the most recent include: 2025 – 2020 North America’s Top 25 Convention Centers, EXHIBITOR Magazine; 2022 Best Small Convention Center in North America, EXHIBITOR Magazine; 2021 Best Customer Service and On-Site Support in North America, EXHIBITOR Magazine; 2020 Best Small Convention Center in North America, EXHIBITOR Magazine; 2019 Best Convention Centers in North America, Business View Magazine; 2024 – 2002 Best Meeting & Conference Facility, Ingram’s Magazine; 2024 – 2018 Prime Site Award, Facilities & Destinations Magazine.
About Toys for Tots
The principal Toys for Tots activity which takes place each year is the collection and distribution of toys in the communities in which a Marine Corps Reserve Unit is located. In communities without a Reserve Unit, the campaign can be conducted by a Marine Corps League Detachment or group of men and women, generally veteran Marines, authorized by Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to conduct a local Toys for Tots campaign. Local Toys for Tots Campaign Coordinators conduct an array of activities throughout the year, which include golf tournaments, foot races, bicycle races and other voluntary events designed to increase interest in Toys for Tots, and concurrently generate toys and monetary donations.
