Basketballs, footballs, baseballs, bats and gloves, baby toys in demand for Christmas Toy Box Collection giveaway

McCook Junior and Senior High students Breyanna Lopez and Hunter Trosper help McCook Toy Box volunteer Jim Sailors unload and move the 180-or-so bicycles that will be given away during the 32nd annual "Christmas Toy Box Collection" give-away Sunday. (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Gazette)

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Santa's elves need gifts for 'tween and teen boys to be given away at the 32nd annual "Christmas Toy Box Collection" give-away Sunday, at 1 p.m., at the McCook, Nebraska, city auditorium at the corner of West Fifth and C streets.

"We could sure use footballs, and basketballs, and baseballs, and bats and gloves," said head elf Barb Ostrum, of the McCook office of Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska, nice gifts for boys who are between toys and real cars.

And batteries of all sizes -- so many toys and games need batteries, she said.

Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Gazette

Puzzles would be nice, too, Barb said, as long as the loose pieces of a gently-used puzzle are tucked into a zipper bag before they're put into the box. And please, only puzzles whose pieces are all there.

While the elves will accept any and all new and gently-used toys throughout the week, Barb admits with a grin, "Baby toys are the most fun to buy."

Barb and her helper elves will be at the auditorium each day this week, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Bring donations to the north garage door.

The toy box give-away is open to anyone who has a need, and wants to make a child's Christmas brighter. Santa and the elves ask that those coming shopping do not bring sacks, boxes and bags.