The season of giving started a bit early at the Big Rapids Department of Public Safety as gift donations have already began rolling in for a December 11^th event to benefit Eagle Village.

 

Big Rapids Officer William Sell says they have already had a few visitors looking to donate. 

 

"We’ve gotten a bunch of toys and there's a woman coming up from Kalamazoo to bring us 50 blankets.” "Last year we collected a lot of toys and gifts for the kids at Eagle Village, so I'm just hoping that we can get even more this year.” Sell said.

 

Eagle Village is a 681-acre campus in Hersey that serves hundreds of kids each year through residential
treatment, adoption and foster care, short-term interventions, and specialized summer camps. In 2020
they had 110 kids in residential care, they placed 62 kids in foster care, completed 20 successful
adoptions, and had 225 kids either attend summer camps or complete Challenge Weekends. They have
been doing this for over 53 years.

 

2021 Eagle Village Youth Christmas List
Fidgets – bubble pops, squishy balls, koosh or Arggh balls
Bullet Journals and supplies, Gel Pens, Notebooks (not spiral bound)
Headphones, ear buds
Weighted Blankets
Duffle Bags
Books – nature, adventure tales, heroic stories

Clothing
• Winter Gloves, Hats
• Fuzzy Sock
• Socks
• Sweatshirts

Personal Hygiene Items
• Hairbrushes
• Hair Ties – Scrunches, wraps
• Body Spray
• Lotion
• Nail Polish

Art Supplies
• Craft Kits
• Coloring Books
• Crayons
• Canvases
• Paint
• Paint Brushes
• Diamond Art
• Scrap Books
• Picture Books
• Sketch Pads (not spiral bound)
• Glue Sticks
• Playdough
• Stickers

Games
• Board Games
• Card Games
• Decks of Cards
• Puzzles
• Game Books
Musical Equipment
Sports Equipment
• Softball
• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Fishing Kits
Tabletop games
• Air Hockey
• Ping Pong
• Foosball
• Basketball
Toys
• Dolls
• Stuffed Animals
• Toy Trucks
• Sand Equipment
• Flashlights
• Bubble lights – battery operated
• Kites