West Virginia University is molding a mountain – and it’s going to be made of toys.
WVU Student Organizations Services and Student Government Association are asking the community to sponsor a child for the annual Student Helping Other People (SHOP) and donate toys to the Toy Mountain holiday program.
SHOP is a program that pairs WVU student volunteers with local children ages 6-12 who shop for presents. Those children and volunteers take to the aisles of Super K-Mart in search of toys, clothes and other items up to $85.
This year’s SHOP event will take place Dec. 8 starting at the Mountainlair. WVU buses will provide transportation to Super K-Mart.
To donate by Dec. 5 at noon, make checks payable to WVU S.H.O.P and mail to attention Sue Henry, Student Organizations Services, PO Box 6444, Morgantown, WV 26506.
WVU students interested in volunteering to help with SHOP, contact Kristin Kleinschmidt at 304-293-4397 or mountaineers.shop@gmail.com. You can also download a volunteer sign-up form at http://sos.wvu.edu/r/download/147041.
Toy donations are also needed to build the University’s annual Toy Mountain in the Mountainlair food court. WVU faculty, staff and students are encouraged to drop off new, unwrapped toys (valued at $5 or more) at the Student Organization Services office in the Mountainlair. The toys will go to the Salvation Army and Christian Help.
The Toy Mountain will be set up in the Mountainlair starting on Tuesday (Nov. 20). University President Jim Clements, Director of Student Organizations Services Ron Justice, Interfraternity Council President Ryan Cox and Student Government Association President Zach Redding will speak about the holiday initiatives in front of Toy Mountain on Nov. 29 at 10 a.m.
WVU will also be offering an evening of traditional holiday festivities at the Mountainlair on Nov. 30 from 6-8 p.m. Donations for Toy Mountain will be accepted at the event, which will feature Santa Claus, free refreshments and entertainment.
Financial and toy contributions will also be collected at the Dec. 8 men’s basketball game vs. Virginia Tech at 4 p.m. and the Dec. 8 women’s basketball game vs. St. Bonaventure at 7:30 p.m. Fans attending are asked to donate toys, which will be collected starting when gates open at 2:30 p.m. for the men’s game and 6:30 p.m. for the women’s game.
For more information, follow SHOP and Toy Mountain on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ShopAtWestVirginiaUniversity?ref=stream or on Twitter @SHOP_WVU.
-WVU-
td/11/19/12
CONTACT: Kristin Kleinschmidt, SHOP/Toy Mountain
304-293-4397, mountaineers.shop@gmail.com
Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.