Toy drive is beginning for kids in the hospital over the holiday season

An annual drive to collect toys for kids who have to spend Christmas in the hospital begins Friday and continues through Dec. 13.

The 15th Michael L. Newton Toy Drive is named in honor of a Missouri Highway Patrol trooper who was killed in a fiery crash in 2003. Newton was sitting in his patrol car parked on the shoulder of Interstate 70 when it was struck from behind by a truck.

The toy drive is a cooperative effort by the Missouri and Kansas highway patrols, the Murphy-Hoffman Co. and Summit Homes.

“The drive is designed to bring smiles to the faces of children who are forced to spend the Christmas holiday season in the hospital,” according to a statement by the Missouri Highway Patrol. “All donations to the toy drive will be delivered to children at KU Medical Center and the Ronald McDonald House. Troopers will deliver the toys personally to the children during the month of December.”

Donations can be made at all metro area Summit Homes sales centers, at Missouri Troop A headquarters in Lee’s Summit or at Kansas Troop A headquarters in Olathe.

Electronic games, board games and new children’s books are suggested.

This story was originally published November 16, 2017 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Toy drive is beginning for kids in the hospital over the holiday season."