Events planned for Toys for Tots collections

Six years ago, the first load of toys fit into a pickup truck.

This year, Ryan Eftink said he hopes the toys will overflow a 20-foot trailer.

Eftink hosted a Toys for Tots-themed party at his house six years ago to collect donations for the holiday toy drive. The party was fun, he said, but the mess was not.

"One hundred people for anybody's house is a lot," Eftink said. "We woke up the next morning and realized how big of a mess they made."

After the first party and the ensuing cleanup, Eftink changed venues to Rude Dog Pub.

In its seventh year, the event has grown and so has the amount of toys collected. Last year the event collected about $4,000 in money and toys, he said.

The party is one of several events planned to collect money and toys for Toys for Tots this week.

Members of the Marine Corps League Detachment No. 1081 will be at Schnucks in Cape Girardeau for a 24-hour drive starting at 4 p.m. Thursday.

"We have a couple of guys who are pretty motivated to stay out there all night," said Charles DiStefano, local Toys for Tots coordinator and member of the league.

The event builds on other kick-off drives at Toys "R" Us and collection boxes throughout the group's seven-county area. DiStefano said 90 collection locations are set up in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Mississippi, New Madrid, Perry, Scott and Stoddard counties.

"There's plenty of places in any of the counties where people can drop off toys," DiStefano said. Children from those counties will receive toys collected from the holiday drive.

In Cape Girardeau County, the Toys for Tots program helps those in the county but outside of the Cape Girardeau city limits. The local Toybox program serves children inside the city.

Other businesses will be participating in events Thursday and throughout the week.

The Rude Dog Pub event kicks off at 6 p.m. today. Admission is a $10 donation or one unwrapped toy.

"It's a lot more fun to buy the toy than bring the cash," Eftink said.

He said food, music and facilities are donated. Food is available from 6 to 8 p.m. and music by the Mike Renick Band and The Intention starts at 8 p.m. After buying more toys with the donated cash, Eftink said he will bring his load of toys to the event at Schnucks on Friday.

Friday, discount cards will be distributed at West Park Mall from 5 to 7 p.m. for shoppers who donate $5 or a toy. The Optimist Club is hosting bingo at Bingo World at 6:30 p.m. A $5 cash donation earns a $10 bingo paper.

Sunday, the Alpha Chi Omega sorority is hosting a Christmas king and queen pageant at Jefferson Elementary School. Admission to the pageant is $5. The entry fee is a $10 unwrapped toy. There will be three age divisions for boys and 12 age divisions for girls.

Lisa Boyer said she had success with similar events in Kennett, Mo., and Poplar Bluff, Mo. Boyer, a pageant organizer, is helping her daughter, Katie Boyer, a member of the sorority.

She said the event is a good way to encourage parents who are sometimes nervous about entering pageants.

"It's a real cheap way for them to try a pageant if they've ever wanted to do one," she said.

Registration starts at 1 p.m. and the event begins at 2 p.m. For entry information, contact Boyer at girlfrnd55@hotmail.com.

The Marine Corps Auxiliary will host the final Toys for Tots drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Cape Girardeau Kmart.

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