The Blogger Toy Fundraiser: Toys & HNT

A lot of y'all already know that I'm doing a fundraiser to buy toys for Toys for Tots and also to provide for the Genesis Women's Shelter in Dallas. If you don't, PLEASE take the time to read the original post about it. There have also been more details about GWS added as well if you want to check that out.

I decided that for The Blogger Toy Fundraiser, I would take some of the money that has been donated and go early to buy some toys. That way anyone with doubts about if I'm really doing this or not might feel more assured about donating $5 or $10. I'm a cynical and un-trusting person myself so I understand the skepticism some people have (openly) had towards me asking people to help give me money for this. So, I went early Wednesday morning when I knew the toy aisles would be completely re-stocked and there wouldn't be anyone else shopping hardly. Here are pictures I took and sent in to Twitter via TwitPic Wednesday morning to document my toy buying fun.



Now, I said I was only going to spend X amount of what was earned and I ended up spending quite a bit more. I didn't spend it all and I will still have some to spend when I finish the shopping tip up at Target on Saturday. You still have time to donate money if you want to. I've had people donate $3, $4.50, $5, $10 or whatever. Any amount helps in some way. Some of those toys you see such as the footballs cost only $2. The little tiara's that some little girl will hopefully enjoy cost $4. The Toy Story Memory game cost $5. You don't need to donate a lot to be helpful.

The fundraiser isn't just for Toys for Tots either. The donations are also going to the Genesis Women's Shelter for their holiday toy drop so that the kids in the shelter will have something to open Christmas morning. Most of the women and children that wind up there don't get there with much. They're victims of domestic violence and abuse and they're trying to get away, trying to find a safe place, trying to start over and make a better life for themselves. One without violence, threats of violence and abuse or the possibility of it towards their children. That's not an environment you want to be in and certainly not one you would want your children to grow up in. The shelter does a lot of great things to help the women and children who stay there and the holiday toy drop is just one of these things. I edited the original Fundraiser post to add more information on GWS if you're interested in seeing that. If you donate and would prefer you money to go towards GWS instead of Toys for Tots, that's fine, make sure you let me know and I'll do that.

I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me out with this.

Thank you t all the people who have pimped my cause and links out on their blogs. (If you have, let me know so I can check it out and tell you thank you!)

Thank you to the (so far) 14 wonderful bloggers who have made donations for this.

Thank you to my boyfriend, my family and my real life friends who have helped try to spread the word and who have also donated to the cause.

I know the economy is rough right now. As I said, I've been affected by it as has my boyfriend and his family. Life sucks for a lot of people right now but any little bit you could donate to help would be enough to make a difference in some kiddos life. That's worth it to me. Hopefully that makes it worth it to you as well.

Now, on to the Toy Fundraiser pictures.

Happy Thursday!