VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – The annual CASA Whoville Toy Donation Drive has begun this year.

According to a release from Vigo County CASA Director Glenna Cheesman, 974 children have been assigned to the program so far this year. 

In various locations across the community, CASA “who-elves’ have been busy setting up trees and decorating them with tags that have a listed age group donors can choose from.

Once donors have chosen the age group they’d like to shop for, they will purchase their items, attach the tree tag to the unwrapped gifts, and drop them off at the CASA office in the government annex building at 141 Oak Street.

The gifts will then be distributed to the children throughout the community that are assigned to the program. Children should receive their gifts on December 9 when they will get to enjoy a celebration and a fun evening in Whoville. 

This year, CASA is in need of the following items:

  • Hygiene products for all genders
  • Small makeup bags, clutches, or purses
  • Fuzzy fun individual socks or packages, slipper socks & undergarments in all sizes
  • Diapers and pull-ups of all sizes and diaper wipes
  • Blankets and pillowcases
  • Prepackaged food items for the food insecurity bags:
    • cereal bars & bowls, 
    • instant oatmeal or small boxes of cereal
    • fruit or pudding cups or fruit pouches
    • granola bars
    • cookies, snack cakes, or crackers
    • individual trail mix or Slim Jims

Those who would like to donate, but not personally shop are welcome to go online to the Wabash Valley Community Foundation and make a monetary donation. All donations should be made to the CASA offices by Dec 7. 

Interested donors can find CASA trees at the following locations with more to come:

  • Sycamore Manor
  • ISU Commons
  • Loose Goose
  • Cackleberries
  • Vigo County Library
  • Grand Traverse Pie Company
  • Little Bear Coffee
  • Terre Haute First National Bank
  • Vigo County Annex
  • Vigo County Court House Rotunda
  • Manifest Hair Studio
  • Meadows Shopping Center
  • Providence Medical Center Wabash Location
  • Saint Mary of the Woods College
  • Crane Credit Union

If any other organizations or businesses would like to host a tree, host tags on your own tree, or host a “Whohouse” during the Whoville event on December 9, contact the CASA office at 812-231-5658 for more information.