When unknown thieves recently stole 12 huge boxes of toys meant for underpriviledged children this Christmas, they didn't know who they were messing with.
Callawegians are coming together to replace those toys, swiped in a storage locker burglary.
"It was a bad thing that happened," said Doris Klosterman, volunteer and board secretary at the Callaway Senior Center. "But now I think (Toys for Tots) will get double or triple what they would have."
The senior center, 531 Commons Drive in Fulton, received a Toys for Tots donation box Tuesday and people there have already collected toys for the drive.
"We had our board meeting last week and we were discussing the theft," Klosterman said. "We said, 'How can we give back to the community? They give so much to us.' We thought this could be a really great way to do that. (The thieves) took toys from children in need, so we're going to help with that."
Other organizations have also joined the previously short list of collection sites in Fulton. Toys for Tots collection boxes were only in place at Dollar General and Family Dollar stores. Now, they are also at Red Cross Pharmacy and the Playhouse Bistro in downtown Fulton, at Cricket Wireless, and Baymont Inn and Suites.
Callaway County Small Animal Clinic in Fulton also has a donation box, and other incentives. In exchange for a children's toy, the vet clinic also is offering $5 off a client's account or $5 off pet grooming. People can call 573-642-3724 for more information.
And then there are the children. Each Fulton Public school building is competing against the others to see which school can donate the most toys to replace those stolen, Fulton athletic director Ryan Waters said. This toy drive will run Monday through Dec. 14.
"It was a combination of a lot of students in the high school, the National Honor Society and chamber singers, bouncing ideas off each other, and it sort of grew from there," Waters said of how the toy collection competition came about.
People can send new or gently used toys to school via their children, or drop them off - preferably at Fulton High during school hours, Waters added.
St. George Family Dental also raised funds to purchase toys by offering custom whitening trays, a value of about $250, in exchange for a $50 cash donation.
Thrilled about all this community generosity is Melissa Barnes, local coordinator of the Central Missouri chapter of Toys for Tots. Her program distributes Christmas gifts to more than 6,000 needy children in multiple counties, including Callaway.
"It's awesome. I don't know what to say. It's just awesome," she said about the various toy replacement efforts. "The outpouring has been amazing."
She hopes this doesn't detract from donations to SERVE, Inc., a Fulton-based organization that also offers holiday gifts for needy children.
"We're all in it for the same purpose," she added. "But it is wonderful."
Barnes can be reached at 573-826-1536.