The Kiwanis Club of Cochrane wants to brighten the holiday season for disadvantaged kids in the Cochrane area.

They're on a mission to make sure that Cochrane kids don't "go without the holiday experience this year."

They are once again gearing up for their annual Christmas toy project initiative. The event typically takes place at the local Walmart, where 100 kids are treated to a holiday celebration and are given gift cards to shop for their own toy. 

Kiwanis Club President Ron Gosselin says that they've had to modify plans for this year's event for the safety of all involved.

"We reimagined the project it's now going to be a drive-thru," says Gosselin. "The kids will get their usual forty dollar gift certificate to shop on their own time."

Gosselin says that Alberta Health Services health and safety precautions will be in place for the drive-thru event, including no contact pickup.

"We are packaging all of the goodies, including a teddy bear two weeks ahead of time and storing it so that there is no COVID-19 issues," says Gosselin. "We're going to ask people to open their trunk and we're going to put the teddy bear and the goodie bags into their trunk."

Gosselin says that in wake of the global health crisis, job loss and downturn in our economy this has been a particularly difficult year for families, and he anticipates that there will be a greater need this year. 

Cochrane's Kiwanis Club is looking for community support to "help put a smile on a child's face in Cochrane." Gosselin says that a forty-dollar donation will allow one additional child to attend this year's Christmas drive-thru toy project event.

"One hundred and twenty-three kids at forty bucks, you can do the calculations," says Gosselin. " Of course going above that we also have the cost of the teddy bears and the cost of the goodies and stuff like that."

Donations can be made online and they are tax-deductible. To donate to this year's Christmas toy project initiative and help brighten the holidays for a child in Cochrane, you can click here.