DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - WAND's Spirit of Giving Toy Drive is collecting toys and monetary donations Friday.

Donations are pacing ahead of last year's 7,800 toys but there's a chance to far surpass that total due to generous giving this year.

Donations will be accepted until 6 p.m. outside WAND's Decatur studios at 904 W. South Side Drive.

PHOTOS: WAND's Spirit of Giving 2025

Decatur Firefighters Local 505 was the first organization to make a monetary donation to the annual toy drive. President Jeremy Ruderman presented Macon County Toys for Tots with a check for $505.

A woman was the first to make a toy donation just a few minutes before 6 a.m.

The annual event, now in its 16th year, benefits the Decatur and Macon County Toys for Tots program.

The Macon County Sheriff's Office handed Toys for Tots a donation of over $3,000. 

Tom McCoy from The Real McCoy Lawn Care dropped off around 500 toys that he brought in his work trailer. McCoy said he's been in business five years and this is the fifth year he's donated toys to the drive. 

Anyone can drop off new, unwrapped toys. Several businesses, first responders, non-profits and churches take part in various ways.

A group from Austin Industrial donated more than 400 toys Friday morning. Brian Wofford from Storage Masters donated 60 bicycles, something Wofford has done for several years. Hogan Grain and Equipment donated a Kubota Toy Tractor. Monte Hogan and his company have donated a toy tractor for a number of years. 

Santa Claus made an appearance Friday morning and is expected to check-in throughout the day.

"These donations are helpful around Christmastime as the elves at the North Pole continue working on toys for later this month," Santa said while collecting toys from Decatur Transit Authority. "I've checked my list and I need to check it twice but I'm happy we are all making sure every child gets at least one toy this holiday season."

VIDEOS: WAND's Spirit of Giving 2025

Cromwell Media, a collection of radio stations in central Illinois, broadcasts live from the toy drive to help collect donations. 

Students from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and School stopped by with a large donation of toys. Support from students and families helped the school collect more than $1,000 for students in 1st and 8th grade to buy for the toy drive.

Storage Masters rolled in with a truck full of bikes and a pickup truck filled with hundreds of toys.

Tom McCoy of McCoy Lawn Care stopped by in the afternoon and dropped off about 500 toys.

Since the event started more than 84,000 toys have been collected for children of central Illinois. 

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Our Lady of Lourdes students drop off over $1,000 in gifts for Spirit of Giving

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