HORACE LANGFORD, JR. / PVT Reggie Knight, coordinator for the local Toys for Tots program, points to the plethora of toys to be distributed throughout the county for underprivleged youths. Toys for Tots fundraisers Toys for Tots collects and distributes toys through Dec. 22, and more toys or monetary donations are always welcome. But there's no reason you can't have fun while being generous, so attend the following fundraisers. For information on additional events, contact Reggie Knight at 910-9345. Dec. 8: Bar-B-Que Town Hall Bar 2450 W. Mesquite Ave. 1 p.m. Holiday Lights Christmas Parade Honeysuckle Park 6 p.m. Dec. 9: Bowling Pahrump Nugget Bowling Alley 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 15: Toys for Tots fundraiser Pahrump Public Auction 800 Margaret St. 1 p.m. Dec. 19: Skating fundraiser Skate Zone 1261 E. Calvada 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Advertisement

Toys for Tots, the national organization that collects toys for underprivileged children, is a familiar name to most people.

Most people, however, only think about it around the holidays when they generously donate a gift and drop it off at one of the signature drop boxes.

In fact, it takes a full year of planning and a massive amount of coordination to be one of Santa's helpers.

At the warehouse located at 860 Margaret St. in Pahrump, the 40 volunteers coordinating the program for Nye County are busy.

Five whiteboards cover the walls of the small office, noting the stats of generosity.

The number of gifts received, distributed, and needed are all carefully charted. Other lists include the donating businesses (Pahrump can boast 21 major donors), monetary donations, drop off points, and a running list of past and future fundraising events.

Two volunteers were busy calling businesses or organizations to establish more places to put the big, brightly-wrapped boxes where people can drop off a toy.

Other volunteers were bustling in and out dropping off toys or picking up boxes to distribute.

Since any money donated to Toys for Tots is used to purchase more toys, there is shopping to be done as well.

And, thanks to the warm and giving hearts of Pahrumpians, the warehouse looked like Santa's workshop.

Long pallets stretched along the walls, filled with the 5,044 toys that had been already collected were waiting to be distributed to the 37 non-profit groups throughout the county.

Kids involved in just about every organization imaginable, including the Boys and Girls Club, Beatty's Even Start program, and the Yomba tribe, will have a holiday that's just a little brighter this year.

Since the Toys for Tots program in Nye County is independent this year, all of the toys donated in the county will stay here, which means the logistics of delivery and distribution have to be worked out as well.

The first big date for distribution throughout the county is Dec. 14, although collection doesn't stop until Dec. 22, when more gifts are distributed.

The weeks leading up to the deliveries are filled with fundraisers and events, keeping volunteers busy.

Jim Paulis, of Goldfield, has agreed to pick up the toys to be distributed to the northern communities and bring them here.

Gifts are collected and distributed to the non-profit organizations themselves, who then usually hand them out to lucky kids during a Christmas party or related function.

And every item has to be duly recorded for the national organization.

"A lot of paperwork and coordination goes into this," Reggie Knight, coordinator for the Marine Foundation, explained.

Knight is one of 600 national coordinators for the event.

He said that although collecting the toys didn't start until October, planning for it was really an all-year event.

"Pahrump is a very giving town," Knight added. "The people here have been awesome as far as giving goes."

But it's not over yet, and toys are still needed.

Knight said although plenty of stuffed toys have been collected, they're running low on toys for 10- to 15-year-olds.

And bicycles, the ultimate gift for children of any age, are always welcome.

Monetary donations are also always welcome, and will be used to purchase toys.

Toys donated to the program must be new and unwrapped.

They can be dropped off in any of the Toys for Tots collection boxes, which are located at over 40 businesses around town, so donating is convenient.

All of the local schools have boxes, as do all of the casinos. In addition, boxes can be found at various bars or lounges, and of course at Wal-Mart.

Or you can drop off a toy at the warehouse directly, located at 860 Margaret Street.

For information, contact Knight at (775) 910-9345.