Hot Wheels vs. Matchbox: At Christmas in Columbus There’s no Competition, just Generosity and a Giving Spirit

We’d dropped into Kroger for chili-making supplies (Morningstar Farms crumbles, black beans, a variety of spices (shh! It’s my secret recipe)), but this gave us the opportunity to pick up a miniature car. Would it be a Hot Wheels or a Matchbox? Yes! Both are welcome at the NBC4 2023 Firefighters for Kids Toy Drive.

For the second year in a row our efforts were focused on buying cars whenever the occasion presented itself. We’d donated to the NBC4 drive before that, beginning our efforts as an annual bike ride with Columbus cycling friends. More recently we’d taken a more focused strategy, gathering 130 cars throughout the year, along with another 100 cars ordered in bulk online, to bulk up our donation.

Why this approach? Why toy cars? Well, a hotel stay a while back and a fondness for The History Channel had us watching Season 1, Episode 3 of The Toys That Build America: Toy Car Wars (linked below). Any kid-at-heart who likes flashback documentaries would find this series entertaining! Check it out! Toy cars were definitely top of mind.
Why turn this interest and curiosity into a year-long charity effort? It’s a purposeful way to consider those who are less fortunate than us, all year long! It’s also a fun, consistent way to think of the excitement of kiddos opening presents on Christmas day! Since we don’t have kids ourselves it’s unusual for us to visit the toy aisle or toy store. It turns out that toy cars are so popular that they take over the end-cap of the grocery store toy aisle. Even in today’s grocery stores there are a lot of fun trinkets and stocking stuffers to enjoy.

What’s the goal? Once December comes around we are ready to line up with all the other cars loaded with unwrapped, new toys to donate them to the NBC4 Firefighters 4 Kids annual drive. It’s the 45th annual event and I hope it will continue for many years to come.

“NBC4 partnered with the Columbus Division of Fire, CME Federal Credit Union, McDonald’s, CAS, 97.9 WNCI and 93.3 The Bus to hold the 45^th annual NBC4 Firefighters for Kids Toy Drive on Saturday, Dec. 9 — and there is still time to donate.” (NBC4 website)
https://cmefcu.org/firefighters4kids-toy-drive-donation/?ipid=promo-link-block1

It’s a small gesture, but when enough families make the effort it has a huge impact on so many families in the community.