The countdown to Christmas is on, and the CHCH Toy Drive is in full swing.

CHCH is collecting toys and monetary donations to make the holidays a little brighter for families across our region.

One of the locations collecting toys is Seaway Mall in Welland, and we stopped by on Friday to see how the Toy Drive is doing and to catch up with Kris Kringle himself.

With only 25 days until Christmas, Santa is a busy man.

“The elves have been very busy, they’re working their little buns off trying to get these toys made,” Santa said.

Children across the region are hoping to find those toys under their trees on Christmas morning, but some families need help making this joyous moment come true.

“Not every family has that extra money to buy these toys that children want… we’re here at the toy drive to give these parents the opportunity to give their child that special gift at Christmas,” Co-Chair for Community Christmas Toys, Dora Lucchetta said.

READ MORE: Please donate to the 2023 CHCH Christmas Toy Drive

CHCH News is teaming up with Community Christmas Toys and the Salvation Army in Welland, to ask the community to donate new, unwrapped gifts or monetary donations to help bring joy to a family on Christmas.

And so far, the response has been amazing.

“We are getting a lot of support from different service clubs, organizations, businesses, the general public, we are getting deliveries almost everyday,” Lucchetta said.

“The trains need to be emptied, we get them to pick up all the time because they’re overflowing, and we can’t keep up with it, it just has to be replenished all the time,” Social Media and Event Coordinator for Seaway Mall, Cortney Peters said.

The Salvation Army says 350 families in Welland have registered to receive help this Christmas.

“That’s probably about 80 families over last year…the cost of housing, cost of food, it has just multiplied the need this year,” Cheryl Moore from the Salvation Army said.

You can drop off donations at multiple locations, including Seaway Mall, and you may be able to say hi to Santa at the same time.