The Local 10 Big Bus Toy Express rolled through South Florida Friday, collecting thousands of toys for needy children.
For the fifth consecutive year, Local 10 teamed up with Big Bus Miami to crisscross Miami-Dade and Broward counties and collect new, unwrapped toys for the Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots program.
The "One & Only" Todd Tongen and Kristi Krueger rode along with Marine Corps servicemen in full dress uniform, a children's choir and holiday characters. The stops featured entertainment and the opportunity to give directly to the Toys For Tots program.
This year the program needs the support of Local 10 viewers to collect 60,000 toys. At the time of this report, the Marines had collected almost 18,000 toys. Donations are desperately needed for kids age 12 and up.
Last year, Local 10 viewers filled two double-decker buses and donated approximately 17,000 toys. Since 2014, the Big Bus Toy Express has collected 48,000 brand new toys to make the holidays brighter for tens of thousands of kids.
The following locations were part of our Big Bus Toy Express schedule for 2019.
Miami-Dade County
Kendall
6-7 a.m.: Tropical Financial Credit Union
8857 SW 107th Ave., Suite 260
Miami, FL 33176
Doral
7:30-8:30 a.m.: Walgreens
9675 NW 41st St.
Doral, FL 33178
305-406-3760
Downtown Miami
9-10 a.m.: Adrienne Arsht Center
1300 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, FL 33132
786-468-2000
Aventura
10:30-11:30 a.m.: Walgreens
18665 Biscayne Blvd.
Aventura, FL 33180
305-466-2844
Broward County
Pembroke Pines
Noon-1 p.m.: Walgreens
15911 Pines Blvd.
Pembroke Pines, FL 33027
954-450-8896
Davie
1:30-2:30 p.m.: Walgreens
3015 S. University Drive
Davie, FL 33328
954-475-9222
Sunrise
3-4 p.m.: IKEA
151 NW 136th Ave.
Sunrise, FL 33325
954-838-9282, Ext.1336
Coral Springs
4:30-5:30 p.m.: Tropical Financial Credit Union
8947 W. Atlantic Blvd.
Coral Springs, FL 33071
Fort Lauderdale
6-7 p.m.: Circle House Coffee
727 NE Third Ave., Suite 100
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304