Three local businesses team up to collect Christmas toys for Columbus children's hospital

About five years ago, Brenton Potter had an idea: The Tattoo Factory owner wanted to have a toy drive.

"I pitched it out on Facebook — hey, would anybody be interested in participating in this if we provided an incentive, like a free tattoo? And I think the first year, the toy drive got so big that we just kept adding stuff to the pot," he said.

At first, the only prize was a gift certificate for a tattoo from him. Then one of the shop's other artists, Tori Robinson, added a second gift certificate. Other local businesses added prizes.

"It ended up being huge," Potter said. Donated toys filled the entire front window of his shop at 334 S. Sandusky Ave.

After taking last year off because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the toy drive benefiting Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus has returned, this time with additional sponsors — Baker's Pizza Sports Shack and The Copper Irons.

Donations are being accepted at all three businesses during their regular business hours, and each is offering a $100 gift card as a prize.

'It's a good cause all around'

Steve Knapp, one of the co-owners of The Copper Irons, said "it's a good cause all around."

"Brenton started it and he's been doing it for several years now, at least," Knapp said. "I've always donated to him, and this year I thought, since we have the business open, we could be another drop-off spot and sweeten the pot for everyone who donates a little bit — have more businesses, more prizes."

His business has accepted quite a few donations already, he said. The Galion Fraternal Order of Police donated a number of toys left over from last year's Fill the Cruiser toy drive.

"It was something to get involved in, help out," said Abby Hinton, Baker's manager.

At the restaurant, toys can be dropped off at the pickup counter, she said. Donors should leave their name and phone number for the drawing.

Potter, who will join Bucyrus City Council as First Ward representative in January, explained the person whose name is drawn first will get to choose from the three prizes. The second will choose from the remaining prizes, and the third gets whatever prize is remaining.

"We try to keep it as simple as possible, because over the years, we're tried to figure out the perfect recipe," he said.

One year, participants got a ticket for every dollar spent.

"So people were coming in spending $100 and we were writing their name on a ticket 100 times," he said, laughing. "So it took some tweaking over the years to figure out the best way to do it."

This year, each participant gets one entry, regardless of how many toys they donate or how much they spend. Only unopened, unwrapped new toys are accepted, and no stuffed animals. Homemade blankets also are accepted.

The cutoff date for donations is Dec. 8. Winners will be drawn on Jan. 1.

'Carrying gobs of toys through the lobby'

Potter said he and his wife, Brittany, were inspired to help out Nationwide Children's Hospital because their two daughters have been patients there, and staffers are "always so accommodating."

Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Telegraph-Forum today to access all of our content online at offers.bucyrustelegraphforum.com.

"The first year I did it without even consulting with them," Potter said. "We came down, and we ended up having to load it in through the front lobby ... Literally, we were carrying gobs of toys through the lobby."

"We missed the cutoff," Brittany Potter explained. "Usually when you drop off toys, there's a toy drive, so you go in and there's a whole team of people that come to your vehicle, help you unload it and then they take it in. We had just missed the cutoff by like two days. So now we coordinate it."

Robinson said that aside from being a good cause, the event is a lot of fun.

"A lot of kids these days don't want toys anymore; they want money or videogames — and those aren't fun to shop for," she said. "So when you get to shop for actual toys, and you don't have stipulations on it, that's enjoyable."

ggoble@gannett.com

419-559-7263

This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Businesses collect toys for Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus