WGN Morning News Toy Drive
The 19th annual WGN Morning News Toy Drive will take place on Friday, December 10, 2021. The McCormick Foundation with match all online donations at 50% through the end of 2021.
About the Toy Drive
This year’s 2021 WGN Morning News Toy Drive will again be virtual due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last year’s toy drive donated over 12,500 toys. This year’s toy drive will take place from 5-10am on Friday, December 10 and will benefit Christmas in the Wards and Off the Street Club (via grants from WGN-TV Family Charities, a McCormick Foundation Fund.)
McCormick Match
The McCormick Foundation matches all donations to WGN-TV Family Charities at fifty cents on the dollar. With WGN-TV and the Foundation paying all campaign and administrative expenses, one hundred percent of all donations, plus the match is granted to qualified nonprofit organizations.
The McCormick Foundation does not make grants to programs that would financially benefit WGN-TV.
Since 1996, Christmas in the Wards has served Chicago’s underserved and hard to count communities bringing the spirit of the season to hardworking families, deserving students and youth. Christmas in the Wards dedicates 100% of their resources for a sole purpose, to serve. Annually, this is accomplished by working with local aldermen to select over 700 deserving families from the wards of Chicago who would otherwise go without essentials such as food and clothing and special gifts from Santa. In addition, Christmas in the Wards supports education in marginalized communities through its Laptops on the Lane event, providing over 200 laptops and mentoring services to middle school and high-school-aged students. This 2021 holiday season marks the 25th anniversary of Christmas in the Wards, serving a record 38 wards and families throughout Chicago’s South, West, and North Side communities.
Off The Street Club is Chicago’s oldest boys and girls club, providing hope, play and ‘casual joy’ since 1900. The Club currently serves more than 3,000 kids in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country, West Garfield Park. Providing after-school activities, summer camps and events ‘where kids can be kids’, Off The Street Club’s motto is, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” Every child seeking a safe place to go is welcome to join Off the Street Club for games, play and mentorship; it’s where ‘hope has a home.’