PRESS ROOM: Sheriff’s Office teams up with Last Minute Toy Store to provide gifts for over 6,000 kids

Nashville-Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall and the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the Last Minute Toy Store (LMTS) are kicking off the season of giving in a big way. They want to make sure that every kid in Davidson County receives a gift this year.

On Wednesday, hundreds Davidson County residents with proof of need were lined up on a first come, first serve basis for a ticket giveaway. The ticket allows families to shop for free through Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm at the Last Minute Toy Store.

LMTS will provide gifts for thousands of families in Nashville who are not receiving assistance from any other charitable organization.

The event is the result of a year-round effort spearheaded by LMTS President Dale Robble. This is the 25th year LMTS has provided toys to those less fortunate, and the second year that Sheriff Hall and the DCSO have partnered on the event.

“In 2017, LMTS broke all previous records providing Christmas to over 5,400 children and over 1,000 volunteers made it all happen,” said LMTS President Dale Robble. “This would not have been possible without the help of Sheriff Hall.”

According to early estimates, the LMTS is on pace to serve more than 6,000 children this year. “Each year it gets bigger and bigger,” said Sheriff Hall who says all the credit goes to the many volunteers who make the event possible. “We couldn’t do it without the help of our volunteers.”

Hall shared a few stories about volunteers who have gone above and beyond to make the event a success, including the donation of truckloads of toys and volunteers who gave up their weekend to drive hundreds of miles to pick up a load of toys.

The LMTS held multiple donation opportunities through the year that included a July fundraiser.

The Last Minute Toy Store is a 501c(3) ministry of Highland Park Church and The United Methodist Churches in partnership with Sheriff Daron Hall and The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office along with The United States Marine Reserve Toys for Tots, churches, business, civic groups, and individuals to provide gifts to Nashville families in need since 1993.

This article originally appeared in the Nashville Pride.