Shoppers who need bicycles or other toys to give their children for Christmas may shop at no charge at The Toy Shoppe at the Kansas Avenue Center, 315 S. Market St.
A one-day shop will be operated by Toy Shoppe staff and students at the Flinthills Mall on Monday from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Because of transportation difficulties, no bicycles will be taken to the mall. Plenty of other toys, however, will be available.
The Toy Shoppe at the school will be open from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. on school days until Friday, Dec. 19.
Students enrolled at The Toy Shoppe clean and repair used toys and stuffed animals for redistribution to the community. The refurbished toys, along with many new toys, are available at no charge. Shoppers are limited to two toys for each child and one bicycle per family. Five to 10 bikes in several styles and sizes currently are available.
“There’ll be lots of new toys as well as old ones,” said Mike McDougald, who coordinates and supervises The Toy Shoppe and its student workers. “We have received so many this year and distributed so many this year. ... Wow, it’s been a busy time.”
McDougald has said that getting the toys and the townspeople together sometimes has been difficult. Last year’s distribution at the mall was hampered by ice-covered streets. That distribution eventually was cancelled.
"A lot of times, our challenge isn't so much getting things to fix, it's getting them out, distributing them," said Mike McDougald said at that time.
The Toy Shoppe accepts donations of new and used toys that can be repaired throughout the year. Distributions also are made year-’round.
“During the first couple of months of school, we gave away 40 bikes,” McDougald said. “That was like a record for us.
For more information about The Toy Shoppe program, call McDougald at the Flint Hills Special Education Cooperative, 341-2325. To check schedules and toy availability, call 341-2332.