TOY DRIVES

The History of

The Angel Trees

Along with the familiar Red Kettles, the Angel Tree program is one of The Salvation Army’s highest profile Christmas efforts.

The Angel Tree was created by The Salvation Army in 1979 in Lynchburg, Virginia in a shopping mall to provide clothing and toys for children at Christmastime.

The program got its name because the wishes of local children were written on greeting cards featuring pictures of angels, and placed on a Christmas Tree at the mall. More than 700 children had a brighter Christmas that year.

Three years later in Nashville, Tennessee, WSM Radio, which airs the Grand Ol’ Opry, came on board as the first Angel Giving Tree sponsor in the United States.

Because of the on-air promotion on WSM, as well as national publicity on CNN and The Larry King Show, news of the Angel Giving Tree spread across the country like wildfire.

Since that time, the program has grown to include Angel Trees across the nation, in shopping malls, and on-site at businesses, churches, clubs and organizations.

Each year, thanks to the generosity of Tucson’s businesses and corporations, their employees, and the generous Tucson community, The Salvation Army receives thousands of new toys and gifts through the Christmas Angel Program.

Collected through corporate toy drives, Angel Trees and Stuff-the-Bus events, these gifts are given to needy children in your community. The Salvation Army’s distributes the toys through our annual toy distribution which takes place a week before Christmas in the form of a “Santa’s Toy Shop.” Families and children needing holiday assistance are selected through School and Agency Referral Programs of The Salvation Army.

You too can help—Join us this year by bringing joy into the lives of Tucson’s needy children. Become an Angel Tree Sponsor, donate a toy or fill an Angel Tag wish.

How Corporate Sponsorship Works

As a corporation/company sponsor, you promote The Salvation Army’s Christmas Angel Giving Tree program with your employees or customers.

Choose if you would like to have your group buy gifts by individual choice or use or Angel Giving Tree Tags to suggest toys for boys and girls.

Encourage each employee to purchase a new Christmas toy/gift for either a boy or girl; ages birth to 14 years and approximately worth $15-$20.

The toys should be unwrapped.

Select a convenient date or deadline for the employees/customers to bring in their gift(s).

Choose to either deliver these gifts between December 10-18 to The Salvation Army’s Christmas Toy Distribution center, a Salvation Army Stuff the Bus drop-off day or arrange for a pick-up (large donations only). Call Tamara, 795-1395 at The Salvation Army for details.

HOSTING AN ANGEL TREE

As a retail or business sponsor you can promote the program by setting up a Christmas Tree or display that features The Salvation Army Angel Giving Tree Gift Tags.

Each tag represents a child: a boy or girl, child’s age and toy wish.

Customers and employees can select a tag(s) and then return them by the specified date to the tree, fulfilling the tag/child’s wish.

Because each tag represents a “suggested” toy for a child, the bearer of the tag can select purchases of their own choice and value. The toy(s) should be returned by the Angel Giving Tree deadline and be unwrapped.

Businesses can request as many tags as desired from The Salvation Army.

Like with corporate sponsorship, toys may be dropped off to The Salvation Army from December 10-18 or arranged for pick-up.

Call for details.

THE SALVATION ARMY

CITY OFFICE

Angel Tag Pick-Up /Angel Toy Drop Off

1001 N. Richey Blvd

FOOTHILLS MALL

Angel Tag Pick-Up/Angel Toy Drop Off

(Angel Tree Table near food court)

PARK PLACE ANGEL TREE

Angel Tag Pick-Up/Angel Toy Drop Off

Sear's Court @ The Angel Tree Box Drop

TUCSON MALL

Angel Tag Pick-Up/ Angel Toy Drop Off

Macy's Wing, 1st Floor

@ The Angel Tree Box Drop

MDA

Dobb's Honda-AutoMall

WinterHeaven House- 2848 West Ribera Place

Mid Valley Athletic Club

Raskob/Kamborian Financial