Two Holiday Drives Going At Ace Hardware In Walnut Creek

Buy a hammer and some nails. Drop off a toy and some old lights.

That's the request this holiday season at the Ace Hardware store in the Encina Grande shopping center at Ygnacio Valley Road and Oak Grove Road.

The store has two drives going now that help children -- Toys for Tots and Lights for Life.

This is the 10th year a Toys for Tots bin has been set up inside the hardware store.

Linda McDonald, the co-owner of the store, said a regular customer who volunteers for the toy foundation drops off the bin every November. She comes back every so often to empty it out.

McDonald, who has owned the store since 2002 with her husband Ben, said she participates in the program to make it easy for people to donate toys. She remembers having to go to City Hall when she had young children to drop off donations.

"It was not very convenient," she said.

The toy campaign lasts until Dec. 15.

This is also the fifth year the store is participating in the Lights for Life campaign. This drive is coordinated by Ace Hardware corporate offices and is done at most of their stores.

Customers are asked to bring in old holiday lights. Volunteers at the non-profit Lights for Life then pick them up and sell the copper, glass and other materials to recycling facilities.

The proceeds are used to help fund research and treatment programs for children with cancer.

That campaign lasts until Feb. 15.

McDonald said the drives are a nice way to kick off the holiday season.

"It gets everyone in the spirit and freshens things up," she said.

Doug Gibson, a manager at the store, said employees are happy to help.

"I think everybody is proud to be part of it," he said.