KITSAP COUNTY, Wash. — Some kids in Kitsap County are playing Santa for thousands of hospitalized children.
Zach Darner founded his youth-led non-profit Kidzz Helping Kidzz at just 7 years old. The non-profit collects toys every year to distribute to children in the hospital.
Darner's now thriving annual campaign was inspired by his own baby brother's stays in the hospital. Watching his brother hooked up to tubes and going through treatments was frightening for him, and inspired him to help other children who were also in the hospital and feeling scared, especially during the holidays.
Darner's decided the best way to do that was through one thing all kids enjoy: Toys.
His original goal was to collect 50 toys for kids, but he quickly surpassed that.
"We got nearly 300 the first year, so it was really great," Darner said.
The next year Darner aimed to collect 1,000 toys and now he is leading his all-volunteer army of kids to collect 5,000. The effort quickly outgrew the garage space and home storage they had to work with. This year Saint Michaels Medical Center donated some warehouse space to the nonprofit to help them collect and sort donations.
Kidzz Helping Kidzz is run by a volunteer youth board. Darner said last year they collected a staggering 9,000 toy donations and would love to beat that total this year, but it's more about the lives impacted than the numbers collected.
“We get to impact kids' lives and that’s amazing," Darner said.
The toys will be distributed to children at St. Michael Hospital, Seattle Children’s Hospital and Mary Bridge Children's Hospital.
Darner said the community support makes his vision possible. Just a year ago, the non-profit distributed 48 collection bins, and this year there was a request to double the number. The bins will be located at participating schools, businesses and churches for new unwrapped toys.
Ninety-six toy collection boxes are being distributed throughout Kitsap County this week and volunteers will collect the donations on Dec. 21. In six years, Kidzz Helping Kidzz has provided nearly 24,000 toys.
To support or donate, visit the non-profit's website.