Sandra Ruiz of Partners for Our Communities loads a new bicycle into the back of a car during Hanover Township's annual Toy Drive and Sponsor-A-Family Program at the Hanover Township Tiknis Campus on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024 in Bartlett. Joe Lewnard/[email protected]

Volunteers kept a steady pace distributing gifts to families participating Hanover Township's Toy Drive and Sponsor-A-Family Program in Bartlett Friday.

Cars lined up outside the Hanover Township Tiknis Campus building as bags containing wrapped gifts, and in some cases, new bicycles, were loaded into family's vehicles. Around 600 families including 1,300 children took part in the pair of programs.

Families participating in the Sponsor-A-Family program wrote down what they were hoping for, and another family in the community will take responsibility for buying those gifts, Hanover Township Supervisor Brian McGuire said. Those participating in the toy drive would provide their child's wish list, and volunteers would then match donations that were received with a child's wishes.

All of the gifts were provided through private donations and no tax money was used, McGuire said.

"There's still a great need out there, we're just glad our donors rose to the occasion to take care of it," McGuire said.