Mankato Public Safety donates thousands of toys to local kids

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Mankato Public Safety spent Wednesday afternoon loading up thousands of toys for local kids.

Since they were unable to participate in their annual “Shop with a Hero” event due to COVID-19, they decided to give back by collecting items for the Toys for Tots campaign.

“Right now with COVID-19 and the pandemic a lot of individuals are struggling and primarily the youth are struggling...not being in school, sports or socializing. So we wanted to supply a lot of toys to children in need,” said Mankato Police Officer Nicole Neudecker.

The initiative was a success, bringing in thousands of toys ranging from games to bikes.

“We probably had six to seven teams join together, we had individuals, officers and other staff who put it out on their social media looking for additional donations,” explained Mankato Public Safety Deputy Director Matt DuRose.

A local marine and the Minnesota State Patrol also participated in getting gifts to some very deserving kids.

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