ROGERS, Ark. -

America’s Car-Mart raised the goals for its Holiday Toy Drive, which is now in its 13th year of being orchestrated during November by the buy-here, pay-here dealership group.

Since 2009, Car-Mart said in a news release that it has collected thousands of toys for kids at children’s hospitals. This year, Car-Mart’s goal is to collect 25,000 toys for sharing with 25 hospitals in Car-Mart’s 12-state area.

Last year, Car-Mart said it collected more than 11,000 toys for 15 children’s hospitals.

“We are excited to conduct our annual toy drive again this year. All of us at Car-Mart will work hard to make this our largest holiday toy drive in our history and to make this season the brightest one yet for children spending the holidays in the hospital,” Car-Mart president and chief executive officer Jeff Williams said in the news release. “This time of year, it’s all about giving and helping to bring holiday joy to so many deserving children.”

The hospitals to receive toys as part of Car-Mart’s Holiday Toy Drive include:

Alabama

Children’s of Alabama, Birmingham

Arkansas

Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock

Arkansas Children’s Northwest Hospital, Springdale

Georgia

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Center for Advanced Pediatrics

Egleston Hospital

Hughes Spalding Hospital

Scottish Rite Hospital

Piedmont Columbus Regional Foundation, Columbus

Iowa

University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City

Indiana

Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent, Evansville

Kentucky

Norton’s Children’s Hospital, Louisville

Missouri

Children’s Mercy, Kansas City

Mercy Children’s Hospital, Springfield

St. Louis Children’s Hospital, St. Louis

Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Columbia

Oklahoma

Ascension St. John Medical Center, Tulsa

Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, Oklahoma City

The Children’s Hospital at Saint Francis, Tulsa

Tennessee

Children’s Hospital at Erlanger, Chattanooga

St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis

Tristar Centennial Medical Center, Nashville

Texas

Children’s Medical Center of Dallas

CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System, Texarkana

Cook Children’s Medical Center, Fort Worth

“It’s so hard to be a child in the hospital during the holidays. That’s the main reason these toy drives are so important. The kids know the community is rallying around them,” said Rebecca Neely, who is development officer for the Arkansas Children’s Foundation.

“In 2020, our hospital collected over $300,000 in toys and donations. It gets bigger and better every year,” Neely continued. “America’s Car-Mart has been the biggest toy donor the last two years. It’s incredible to see the support from the company and its customers. It’s so amazing to see everyone rallying around our patients and their families.”

Car-Mart will serve as a toy donation destination in its communities. The company welcomes anyone (no purchase necessary) to donate new, unwrapped toys as part of its Holiday Toy Drive.

Toys can be dropped off Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at any Car-Mart dealership.

“Every toy will make a difference, and we are grateful for the opportunity to help ensure that children who have to be hospitalized during the holidays will enjoy some holiday magic. For November and December, it’s the most important thing we can do at America’s Car-Mart,” Car-Mart chief operating officer Leon Walthall said.

For more information and to track the toy collection, visit Car-Mart.com.