Dear Tulane Community:
In the last View from Gibson, I shared some Tulane traditions, as well as some thoughts on the season of reflection, giving and sharing we are now entering. One Tulane tradition that bears special attention is the Staff Advisory Council’s Holiday Toy Drive. This annual event celebrates both the spirit of this season and the history of the university’s service to others.
Since 2008, the Tulane community has collected thousands of holiday gifts for local children through the toy drive. These gifts are provided to our partners at Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children, a program that serves abused and neglected youth in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Tammany parishes. Following a recent drive, St. Tammany CASA Director Sharon McLane wrote: “Each year we are astounded by [Tulane’s] kindness and the gifts that are presented during the holiday season… It is always rewarding to see the neediest children receive gifts that they would otherwise not have had.”
Tulane measures its success by the positive impact we have on our community and the world around us. We make this impact through transformative teaching, education and research, as well as our community partnerships and commitments to worthy causes, such as the toy drive, that enrich us all.
You can click here to donate online to the drive or pick up a toy or gift and bring it to one of these drop-off locations on the uptown, downtown, Elmwood or National Primate Research Center campuses. Gift donations will be accepted through Tuesday, Dec. 10, while the online donation option will close at noon on that day. This gives you only a little time to participate in this year’s drive – but a little time is all it takes to make a big difference in a child’s life.
