Nov. 30, 2011 — The 4th annual Holly Rollers Toy Giveaway is scheduled later this month and the club is looking at record donations.

The goal for this year is $10,000 and the club is well on its way.

The event is for children of needy families in the area.

In the first year, they were able to serve 350 families. In 2010 the number jumped to 600.

The giveaway began as a memorial to Gared Maggard, the 13-year-old son of Philip and Terry Maggard, who was murdered at their home in 2005 during a home invasion.

The Holly Rollers began gathering funds for the toys in October. Many area churches have already made large donations.

“We had 16 churches last year and roughly 25 this year,” said Pam Haney, Holly Rollers secretary. “Businesses and individuals that want to donate new toys can still drop them off at Grayson Dollar General.”

Haney said with about 4,000 people under the poverty level in Carter County, many children wouldn’t have a Christmas without the giveaway.

“You get to put a smile on the face of a child,” Haney said. “One year our members took toys to a family that didn’t even have a tree. Last year a friend and I shopped for little girls and had a lot of fun.”

The Giveaway, which is actually two parts, will take place Dec. 17.

Members of the Holy Rollers will take some toys to the Carter County Detention Center to give to the children of local inmates.

The second part will take place at New Life Victory Church in Olive Hill. Pickup times are determined by the last name of the person picking up the toys.

The schedule is slated to begin with A-F names at 9 a.m., G-L at 11 a.m., M-R at 1 p.m. and S-Z at 3 p.m.

To receive toys, everyone must present identification and a government-issued form of identification with the child’s birthday.

“We want people to bring in birth certificates, medical cards, or Social Security cards,” Haney said. “This will help us identify how many children we are helping and also discourage people from taking more than they have been allotted. We want to make sure as many children as possible benefit from this program.”

Dec. 11 is the last day to make a donation. For more information, contact Lee Allen Miller at 315-1264 or Pam Haney at 474-0866 or 4710239.

Leeann Akers can be reached at lakers@journal-times.com or by telephone at 474-5101.