Annual toy giveaway event Saturday
Dec. 9—A huge toy giveaway is set for Saturday — rain or shine.
Organizers of the annual J. Michael Miller Christmas Toy Giveaway that draws hundreds to the city to receive a free toy said the event will go as scheduled Saturday with volunteers taking precautions in case of rain.
"We will have umbrellas for our people walking the lines and it might impact our people in golf carts — but we're doing it," said Angie Miller, one of the event organizers.
The idea for the event originated years ago after Angie's son, Reed Marcum, wanted to help give some community members a happier holiday season and the event took off from there.
The toy giveaway started in 2016 with 800 toys given away and expanded to more than 7,000 toys handed out last year.
Reed — now a McAlester High School senior — organizes the event with his mother, and his stepfather, McAlester attorney J. Michael Miller, each year with the help of several family members and volunteers.
Organizers plan to hand out 10,000 toys at this year's event set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 10 at Ragan Auto at 306 E. Wyandotte Ave. in McAlester.
A child must be present to receive a toy and any child no older than18 years old qualifies to receive a toy.
Anyone walking the line must not go through the car line.
The event honors the memory of Hudson Campbell, the 2-year-old child of Kelley and Michael Campbell, who died of complications resulting from pediatric cancer in 2018.
Reed later started the Hudson Strong Foundation — which gained 501 (c) 3 status and raises money toward scholarships for students going into the medical field and toward funding for families going through traumatic experiences.
Several of Reed's 4-H projects have honored Hudson and MacKenna "Kenna" Faith Mattioda, who died after being born with a congenital heart disease, pulmonary valve atresia and pulmonary artery stenosis.
He started an auction to raise money toward the foundation and presented checks totaling more than $50,000 from this year's auction to the wife of the late McAlester Police Officer Danny Kelley, and to Leann Yandell, a teacher at Lakewood Christian School who was diagnosed with cancer.
Reed raised $114,668 through the auction, 43,411 total gifts for children through the toy giveaway, and 20,758 book bags through the school supply giveaway event — all before the start of this academic year.
His community service and accomplishments earned him recognition as a recent inductee to the Oklahoma 4-H Hall of Fame.
The events also honor the late Frink-Chambers Schools longtime counselor and teacher, Donna Curry, who died of a brain aneurysm. Reed said Curry encouraged him to enter that contest in first grade and he ended up winning it to launch his 4-H career.
This year's event also honors the memory of Reed's grandmother Lucy and his brother, the late Sgt. Miles Tarron, who died last year and received a dignified transfer to his hometown.
Contact Adrian O'Hanlon III at aohanlon@mcalesternews.com
