Big shopping spree held at Fred Meyer for Les Schwab Tire Center ‘s 2nd annual Toy Drive

(Update: adding video and comments from Les Schwab and Fred Meyer)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Shopping carts were filled with toys and lined up at Bend's Fred Meyer Wednesday for NewsChannel 21 and Les Schwab Tire Centers' second annual Toy Drive to help families in need this holiday season.

"Giving back to the community is at the core of Les Schwab values. This toy drive and this time of year is great to partner with our local nonprofits and local businesses to make it a special time for families in need." said Nate Laughery, the manager of Les Schwab in Prineville.

Les Schwab managers were paired together for a 20-minute shopping spree to fill their carts with a variety of toys. They were assigned to get gifts for kids spanning from infants all the way to teenagers.

"My task to get toys for 3- to 4-year-olds, boys and girls." said La Pine's Les Schwab Manager, Jayson Rasmussen. "So I thought about my boys that are 3, and I figured they like dinosaurs, so some little kid out there might like dinosaurs."

Last year, the drive collected over 3,200 toys for local nonprofits, and this year, they hope to raise that number to 4,000.

With the help of Fred Meyer in Bend, they were able to donate over $20,000 in toys. The toys will go to a variety of local nonprofits, including the Boys and Girls Club and the Crook County Holiday Partnership.

Store Manager Mike Roth said, "Fred Meyer has been around for over 100 years, and it's something that we love, being out in the local communities and working closely with them to to benefit the folks who live here, our customers."

Last year, thousands of toys were donated to 14 local nonprofits across Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook counties, and it's looking good for a big repeat, thanks to the community!

Les Schwab Tire Centers are still accepting donations or unwrapped toys at any of their eight locations across Central Oregon from November 1 through December 13. You can also drop off toys at Summers Flooring & Design or at Deschutes Roofing & Insulation in Bend.