BY KAREN BOSSICK

Santa needs help this year.

Volunteers are looking for toy donations for more than 900 children for this year’s annual Holiday Baskets program.

“The program suffered a major blow this year when the Motorcycle Toy Run, which has generously donated toys for more than 20 years, was cancelled,” said Jessica Cruz, a spokesperson for the Sun Valley Board of Realtors Community Foundation. “We are in major need of help to raise money and toy donations to cover our losses to make sure over 900 kids receive a toy this Christmas.”

To replenish the supply of toys, organizers of the Holiday Baskets program are setting up a county-wide toy drive for the week of Nov. 28 through Dec. 2.

Santa’s helpers are encouraged to drop off new unwrapped toys from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, at the Sun Valley Visitors Center/Starbucks in Ketchum and at the Chamber of the Wood River Valley Visitor Center next to the rodeo grounds in Hailey.

Toys will also be accepted at the Winter Wonderland from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Community Campus in Hailey.

Holiday Baskets is in its 30th year of donating food baskets to Blaine County families, along with warm clothing and toys to kids. The program, organized and sponsored by the Sun Valley Board of Realtors Community Foundation since 2003, supplied baskets to more than 400 families with nearly a thousand children last Christmas.

The baskets include all the fixings for a holiday meal, while donations provide children under 18 with gifts of clothing, toys, books and toothbrushes.

Monetary donations can be made online at www.SBRHolidayBaskets.org. Donors can also “adopt” a child or children for the holidays.

“The toy drive is so important for Holiday Baskets every year,” said Robin Christensen, director of Holiday Baskets. “The money we get from donors is used first on the necessities, like warm clothing. But we know kids want toys, especially at Christmas.”

Information: Robin Christensen at 208-720-2905.