Minnesota Pilots: Volunteer at Tree of Hope’s Holiday Toy Drive on December 5

Minnesota pilots, if you’re looking to get more involved in the aviation community, I highly recommend helping with Tree of Hope’s annual toy drive.

This year’s Toy Collection Day is Saturday, December 5, 2026, at Atlantic Aviation at Anoka County–Blaine Airport. It starts early and wraps up by noon the same day. The work is easy and not physically demanding.

It’s an aviation-centered charity, so pilots of all backgrounds from across Minnesota will be there. People fly in to donate toys, which means you could too. If you want to build connections, boost your resume, or help the community, this is the biggest no-brainer ever.

Event details

About Tree of Hope

Ray and Celeste Shefland started Tree of Hope in 1990 after recognizing a simple need: bringing smiles to children stuck in the hospital over the holidays. They gathered their aviation friends to collect toys and deliver them to local hospitals. More than three decades later, Tree of Hope supports 40 hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses throughout Minnesota, and it’s still powered by the aviation community.

Ways to help

• Volunteer on collection day. Spend the morning of December 5 helping sort and pack donations.
• Shop for toys for all ages. Activity toys are the most requested, since they help kids pass the time during a hospital stay.
• Make a financial donation.
• Become a sponsor.

Flying in?

Plan it like any fly-in. Check NOTAMs and current airport information for KANE before you go, contact Atlantic Aviation ahead of time about ramp parking, and expect more traffic than a typical Saturday morning. It’s December in Minnesota, so give the weather, icing, and engine preheat the same attention you would on any winter flight.

Get involved

Want to help or have questions? Reach out to me, or contact Tree of Hope directly through HolidayTreeOfHope.org. I hope to see you there.