Civil War toy drive for needy kids planned

The Duck and Beaver football teams are hoping that the biggest winner from their Civil War game on Nov. 24 in Corvallis will be local low-income children.

The two teams are encouraging football fans to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the game. The donated toys will be given to more than 100 local nonprofit agencies for distribution to area children during the upcoming winter holidays.

Civil War Series sponsors Wells Fargo, PacificSource Health Plans, McDonalds and the Northwest Ford Dealers are also urging their customers to participate.

“Oregon is a state known for its outstanding college football teams and its generosity,” said Don Pearson, Wells Fargo regional president for Oregon and S.W. Washington. “It’s impossible to predict how many touchdowns we’ll see in the Civil War game. But we know for sure that with the help of the fans, this toy drive will touch many of our most needy children this holiday season.”

The toy drive is part of the Catch the Community Spirit campaign that involves university students and staff, fans and Wells Fargo employees who are volunteering for a number of projects to help communities throughout Oregon.

Serving Oregon since 1852, Wells Fargo is celebrating its 160th anniversary this year. The financial services company has 129 branches in Oregon and southwest Washington. In the past three years, Wells Fargo team members have volunteered more than 216,000 hours for schools and nonprofit groups in this region.