Local physical therapy student donates hundreds of toys to kids battling cancer

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) – Yesterday morning on her birthday Kori Ward, a physical therapy student, woke up with 510 toys in her house.

a close up of a woman: KOLD Heroes and Helpers: Hundreds of toys for hospital kids

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KOLD Heroes and Helpers: Hundreds of toys for hospital kids

“It brings me to tears,” said Kori Ward. “Its amazing I love it so much.”

The toys were a part of a drive Ward has been doing for the last 6 years. But she says it was her grandmother’s death 6 years ago that sparked the idea for the drive.

“I thought kids need to laugh and laughter heels so why not do toy donations,” said Ward.

Each year, she blasts out a Facebook post asking friends and family not to send cards and gifts to her, but instead to send toys or money so she can donate them to kids battling cancer

“To see them smiling and holding on to the toys because I mean most of us don’t know what they’re going through,” said Ward. “It goes a lot further when a lot of people realize.”

And this year, her gifts may be making even more of an impact than in years past.

“Normally they do Christmas in July because of the pandemic they weren’t able to do that,” said Ward. “Hopefully this will help some of what they would have gotten from that.”

Ward says donating is easy, you just have to reach out to the department head to arrange a drop off and all of the toys must be unopened.