The Cleveland Area Rapid Transit will wrap up its annual holiday drive Wednesday with hope that local families in need will wrap up toys for children.

The Fill the Trolley drive has boxes placed throughout campus to collect toys for children, from newborns to 12-year-olds, according to a press release. The drive began Nov. 1, and CART employees, Santa and his elves will pick up donations from boxes around campus today and Wednesday.

Toys will go to the Christmas Store of Cleveland County, where eligible Cleveland County residents can work two-hour shifts to buy toys for their families, said Sue Kirlin, toy department head for the store.

“They want it to be not a handout, but to feel like they have earned what they get out of the store,” Kirlin said. “They have to work the two-hour shift, and after that they can shop for toys.”

The store expects to provide toys for more than 900 children in Cleveland County, Kirlin said. Employees try to get enough donations to give every child a medium- and small-sized gift.

CART and more than 50 departments at OU have teamed up with the Christmas Store for six years to collect toys for the families working at the store.

The transit office does not know exactly how many toys OU students, faculty and visitors have donated yet this year, but departments typically fill up one big box, if not more, OU Parking and Transportation Services spokeswoman Vicki Holland said.

“I know at the Outreach Center, they have a bicycle they are going to give, which is really nice,” Holland said.

The store does not open until Monday, so OU students and faculty can continue donating after the initial pick-ups by bringing toys to the parking office or to the store, Holland said.

“The Christmas store and CART appreciate everyone’s participation,” Holland said. “We know the economy is not that great, but everyone seems to open their hearts, and we appreciate it.”