For 24 years and counting Toys for Tots has been helping to provide happy holidays for disadvantaged children in Pearl River County.

This year the push to gather enough toys to help as many local children in the county has begun.

Drop off points for those who would like to donate new toys are at the Picayune Police Department, WRJW, Marble Slab, all branches of First National Bank, Regions Bank, Wal-Mart, Dixie Glass, Walker’s Body Shop and all Dollar General locations, including the locations in Carriere and Poplarville.

All toys collected in Pearl River County will benefit children in Pearl River County said Jackie Rabion, local coordinator for Toys for Tots at the World Outreach Revival Center. Last year the organization helped about 1,000 children have a merry Christmas, she said.

Listeners to WRJW can tune in on Nov. 30, to participate in a radio-thon where anyone who wants to do so will have the opportunity to call and contribute to the cause. Monetary donations will be accepted in addition to new toys, Rabion said. The radio program will take place from 8 a.m. until noon.

If donors would like to mail in their donations, they can send them to P.O. Box 1023, Picayune, MS, 39466.

Beginning Nov. 26, the organization will begin taking names for needy children. Those names can be submitted by calling 601-798-7707. The deadline for names is Dec. 12.

Qualifying children will receive five gifts and the only limit to the amount of children the effort will help is the number of toys received, said World Outreach Revival Center Pastor David Meeks.