A local group is continuing its tradition of collecting toys for children who have to spend the holidays in local hospitals.
This is the 18th year Santa’s Hospital Helpers delivered hundreds of toys for kids at the Children’s Hospital of Illinois at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and UnityPoint Health-Methodist.
Bill Turney is the man behind the effort.
“It’s such a joy to see these kids’ faces cause they don’t know that Santa is going to come see these guys, and these parents-they want their kids home for Christmas. So, we try to bring job and make them forget about their problems for a few minutes.”
Turney says more than 100 boxes of toys were delivered to Saint Francis and Methodist. All of the toys and money used to collect them are donated by the community.