AFC Wimbledon are aiming to provide Christmas cheer for those less fortunate by launching an appeal for supporters to donate toys as presents.
Our Foundation are organising a visit on Thursday 13 December to St George’s Hospital Children’s Ward with gifts presented to boys and girls at the Tooting facility. In addition, our friends from the Paul Strank Charitable Trust have arranged a visit to Shooting Star House Children’s Hospice in Hampton on the same day. Dons first-teamers and management will be joining in the Christmas spirit by visiting both venues to present donated toys.
As part of this, we are asking for your help to make it an extra special Christmas for children at these two facilities. Though we will be providing themed gifts to the children, we would also like to provide additional presents from the wider AFC Wimbledon family.
Therefore, we are asking supporters to donate toys to this appeal. You can drop donations off before the following two home matches coming up against Southend (24 November) and Rochdale (8 December). Foundation staff will be on hand next to the Dons Trust Kiosk before these games (1.00 pm until 2.45 pm).
Dons midfielder Scott Wagstaff said: “It is not just the kids that are affected by being in hospital at Christmas, it’s the whole family, and it’s not nice for everyone involved. You want children to be out enjoying themselves for Christmas Day, but that’s not always possible. If we can all do our best to help in a bad situation by donating toys to the children affected, it will bring smiles to their faces, and that’s something really positive for us to do as a club.”
St George’s Hospital and Shooting Star House Children’s Hospice have requested the following kind of gifts for boys and girls of mixed ages:
- Baby toys – soft toys, rattles, sound toys and baby books
- Toddler – puzzles, shape sorters and musical instruments,
- School age – playdough, cars, dolls, figurine sets, puzzles, arts and crafts sets
- Older children (up to 19 years old) – board games, headphones, books, CDs and DVDs
Items donated to these two incredible causes must be new and be provided in their original presentation boxes.
Any surplus donations will be gifted to the wider St George’s Toy Collection that raises money for the hospital’s main charity.
In addition, Shooting Star House Children’s Hospice have set up an Amazon Wish List, where fans can buy from a list of much-needed items and get them delivered direct to the hospice.
For further information about the club appeal, please contact the Foundation office on 0208 9745712 or via the AFC Wimbledon Foundation website.