BARBOURSVILLE, W.Va. — The Marshall football team will be doing its part to give back to the local communities for the holidays this weekend.
The Herd is having its annual toy drive at the Walmart in Barboursville from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“We are really excited for another opportunity to do this,” Doc Holliday, Marshall head coach, said on MetroNews “Talkline” on Wednesday. “This is our eight or ninth straight year. We get an opportunity to give back to kids in our community that otherwise would not be able to have a Christmas.”
The goal for the team is to fill the equipment truck that will be parked outside of Walmart. Holliday said that the entire team will be there to help shoppers look and pick out gifts for the kids.
“Our players really enjoy getting out there and seeing the fans that support us,” he said. “We are excited and looking forward to it.
“It is just a great deal. Our players enjoy it and a lot of them grew up that way and they enjoy giving back and giving back to some kids that need it.”
Last season, the team stuffed the equipment truck with over $30,000 worth of toys. Anyone that donates to the toy drive can earn raffle tickets to be entered to win special prizes.
Holliday said that nearly all the toys go to children in local communities and around the state of West Virginia. The team will bring a few down to Florida for their bowl game on December 20. The team does an annual trip to a children’s hospital in the city hosting its bowl game.
The team is taking a break from bowl preparations for this toy drive event. Marshall plays against South Florida on December 20 at 8 p.m. in the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa Bay, Florida on South Florida’s home field, Raymond James Stadium.