COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the last seven years, Tyler Slaven and his sister Monica Heath have helped put smiles on the faces of patients at Nationwide Children’s Hospital through their toy drive.
It started when the two were in high school at Ohio Virtual Academy. Tyler was a freshman and Monica was a senior.
“We knew that's what we wanted to do,” said Monica.
What they didn't know then, was how big it would get now. Every year they had more volunteers and collected more toys. The drive has grown so big that now, their toy drive is statewide.
"We found some ways to reach more communities and expand,” said Tyler.
This year they raised the most donations ever with 22,822 toys. The toys will be gifted to children who are patients at the hospital.
"I often like to say that kids need more than medicine to get well, and this is more than medicine, this is part of that peace,” said Donna Trentel, the Director of Family & Volunteer Services for Nationwide Children's Hospital.
The siblings plan to do this every year and help more people.
Over the last seven years, they’ve been able to donate nearly 70,000 toys.
"You see the best of people come out with this,” said Monica.
Sunday was the last day to donate toys physically, but it isn’t your only chance to do so.
You have until the end of the year to donate through the hospital’s website.