AVTA “Stuff-a-Bus” holiday toy drive starts Nov. 21

LANCASTER – The Antelope Valley Transit Authority’s Stuff-a-Bus Holiday Toy Drive will be collecting new unwrapped toys, clothing, and gifts for children from Monday, Nov. 21, through Monday, Dec. 12.

For more than 28 years, this annual event has brought joy to the hearts of local children in need during the holidays by collecting enough toys and clothes to fill a specially decorated all-electric 40-foot bus to the roof. There will be four Stuff-a-Bus collection events this year, beginning with the BLVD Small Business Saturday on Nov. 26 on Lancaster Blvd, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.; then the West Palmdale Walmart on Sunday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; then A Magical BLVD Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 10, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; and finally, the West Lancaster Walmart on Sunday, Dec. 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A Stuff-a-Bus donation box is also located at the AVTA office, at 42210 6th Street West in Lancaster.

AVTA works with local charities to collect and distribute all toy and gift donations to children. Participating 2022 charities are the Children’s Bureau, Antelope Valley Partners for Health, the Child and Family Guidance Center, JustServe, Valley Oasis, the Boys & Girls Club of the Antelope Valley, and the South Antelope Valley Emergency Services of Palmdale (SAVES).

One hundred percent of donations will be distributed at the Holiday Drive-Thru Grocery and Toy Giveaway at AVTA on Dec. 17. No sign up is necessary and the event is open to all Antelope Valley residents. Local families will receive Christmas meal supplies in addition to toys and gifts for their children. Many local businesses helped AVTA raise more than $25,000 to help purchase toys and gifts for the holiday drive.

“The generosity of our major sponsors, such as Duke Engineering, BYD Motors, WAVE/Ideanomics, Palmdale Elementary Teachers Association, MCI/New Flyer, RentSource, Complete Coach Works, Mission Bank, Vinsa Insurance Associates, OpSec Security, and High Desert Medical Group, make a huge impact in the lives of many local families,” said AVTA Board Chairman Marvin Crist. “We also want to thank DP Commercial Brokerages, Bayshore Consulting Group, Avail Technologies, AVEDGE, Kaiser Permanente, the Weideman Group, and MV Transportation, whose contributions help make AVTA’s Stuff-a-Bus a huge success.”

[Information via news release from the Antelope Valley Transit Authority.]

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