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Mark those calendars for Dec. 10 to buy or donate new toys that brighten Christmas for local children.

The Suffolk Sheriff’s Office holds its annual Toy Drive at both Suffolk Walmart stores from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 10. The stores are located at 1200 N. Main St. and 6259 College Dr,

Community Outreach Coordinator Katie A. Jones and Major David Miles joined to explain how residents can donate.

“We have been doing this since 2014, so we are seasoned on this and I think this is going to be our biggest year ever,” Jones said. “We are super excited about it.”

Deputies and others from the sheriff’s office will be at the two Walmart locations to collect the donated toys between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10.

“We will be out there hopefully singing Christmas carols and spreading some joy,” Jones said. “We’re really looking forward to it.”

She provided details on how to donate to the Toy Drive.

“If you haven’t purchased a toy, or you don’t have a toy yet, you can show up in front of Walmart, you can go in and purchase a toy in Walmart and come out and there will be sheriff’s deputies outside to take your collection,” Jones said. “Or if you already purchased a toy, you can certainly just bring it and drop it off.”

Miles shared his thoughts on what the Toy Drive means to the city and its families.

“The real heroes of this event are the citizens of Suffolk and even beyond the City of Suffolk,” Miles said. “Their generosity is what makes our toy drives a success since 2014 when we started it.”

He stressed that everything received stays right in Suffolk.

“We partnered with local churches this year to give the toys out,” he said. Those churches taking part know that the focus for this project is “right here is for children in the city of Suffolk.”