CHiPs for Kids toy drive kicks off 2024 holiday season in Coachella Valley

The CHiPs for Kids Toy Drive is something that has made a difference in the lives of kids and their communities across the state of California for several decades.

With the beginning of their annual toy drive, the California Highway Patrol is kicking off the start of the holiday season, and a monumental effort to collect and deliver tens of thousands of toys for kids in desert communities just before Christmas.

News Channel 3 will be interviewing Officer Torres from the CHP Indio Area at a CHiPs for Kids "Cover the Cruiser Cruiser" event at Walgreen located at 44840 Monterey Avenue, Palm Desert, California 92260.

Cover the cruiser events are part of the toy drive, where folks are encouraged to buy toys to donate and make a CHP cruiser disappear under a blanket of gifts. Today's Cover the Cruiser runs until 6 pm.

In 2023, CHP donated more than 10 thousand toys to families in the Coachella Valley as part of their CHiPs for Kids Toy Drive.

The toys are collected through donations from community members at drop-off locations and various "Cover the Cruiser" events.

To participate this year, you can drop off new unwrapped or boxed toys to the Walter Clark Legal Group in Rancho Mirage , Mathis Home in Indio, the CHP Office in Indio or any Walgreens in the Coachella Valley before December 20th.

All donated toys must be NEW and unwrapped, and for children 0-16. 

Each year, the event culminates with a giveaway where families and kids receive toys from Officers on patrol, just before Christmas.

This year the giveaway day is taking place at Galilee Center on Dec. 20.

Families who'd like to register their children to receive gifts, need to call the Galilee Center starting on December 2nd.

The Galilee Center can be reached OUT AT (760) 396-9100.

Anyone requesting toys will be referred to the Galilee Center to register.

If you'd like to view News Channel 3's previous stories covering the CHiPs for Kids toy drive, visit this link.