South Austin First Choice ER Facility To Serve As 'Toys For Tots' Drop-Off Center

AUSTIN, TX — A pair of Austin First Choice ER facilities will be among those serving as Toys for Tots neighborhood drop sites benefiting needy children in the region, officials announced.

The local facilities at 10407 Jollyville Road and 9312 Brodie Lane, in North Austin and South Austin, respectively, are among 12 sites across the state to participate in the program. Since 2012, First Choice ER facilities across Texas have served as toy drop-off sites. First Choice Emergency Room officials describe their facilities as the nation's leading network of independent, free-standing ERs. Its sites will be collecting unwrapped toys for children from infants to 12 years old through Dec. 13.

“We are excited to be celebrating our fifth year supporting the Toys for Tots initiative that brings joy to so many children during the holiday season,” said Dr. Stephen Paulson, Area Medical Director, First Choice Emergency Room, throughout Austin and San Antonio. “Thanks to the generosity of our local communities, we’ve collected more than 200,000 toys across all of our facilities since our partnership began, and we hope to continue the momentum in 2016.”

The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program has been delivering toys to children in need since 1947 and is the largest outreach program in the Department of Defense. The program collected and distributed 18 million toys to 7 million children in 2015, who otherwise would not have received toys at Christmas.

“We’re very grateful for First Choice Emergency Room’s continued support of Toys for Tots,” retired Marine Col. Ted Silvester, vice president of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, said in a prepared statement. “Through efforts like theirs, we are able to provide a Christmas for thousands of children across the United States”

In addition to First Choice Emergency Room facilities across Texas in Houston, San Antonio and Austin serving as drop sites, employees will take part in a day of service at the Toys for Tots distribution center where they will sort and prep gifts for delivery, officials said.

Oh, and for those wishing to donate toys, you can't miss the drop-off sites: First Choice Emergency Room facilities will be clearly marked as Toys for Tots drop sites with large holiday inflatables. What's more, the facilities are open 24/7, making it even more convenient for generous shoppers to drop off their unwrapped gifts for deserving children in the community.

>>> Photos courtesy First Choice