Coyotes Hosting Toy Drive at Mullett Arena on Friday & Saturday

The Arizona Coyotes are bringing holiday cheer to the patients and families at Phoenix Children’s this holiday season, and they need help from The Pack.

The Coyotes, in partnership with the Arizona Coyotes Foundation and Phoenix Children’s, are hosting a toy drive prior to both Friday and Saturday’s home games as part of their “Howlidays of Giving” campaign, which is aimed at raising funds and support for the hospital during the holiday season.

Fans are encouraged to bring new toys (in their original packaging) for patients and their families, all of which will be delivered to the hospital by Coyotes players on Monday, Dec. 18. Friday’s game against the San Jose Sharks and Saturday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres both begin at 7 pm MST, and there will be receptacles located outside the entrance to Mullett Arena for the dropoff.

“During this time of year it’s so important to be there for patients and families that are going through so many challenges,” Coyotes President and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez said. “This toy drive is just a small measure that we can offer them for comfort, for these incredible children that are going through these challenges, as well as their siblings and families.”

The Arizona Coyotes Foundation is also donating $40,000 in matching funds to Phoenix Children’s as part of their commitment to the campaign.

Toys that are donated during the drive should be unused and unwrapped, and will be donated to Phoenix Children’s “Toyland” area, which is a room filled to the brim with various toys for all ages. Parents then have the option to choose a toy from the wide array of options, and those gifts are then wrapped and delivered to the children on Christmas Day.

“Every kid deserves to open a toy on Christmas Day,” said Hannah Wampler, the Coyotes’ Coordinator of Community Outreach and Impact. “Just seeing their smiles, it does make a difference. We’ll see it from the players, too, when we go to the hospital visit. It makes such a difference, and that’s why we do it.”

In addition to contributing to Phoenix Children’s Toyland, the Coyotes are offering other ways to give back. Ticket packages for Arizona’s upcoming three-game homestand include a Howler plush doll for a child at the hospital (Sharks info here for Friday, Sabres info here for Saturday, and Senators info here for Tuesday), and fans who simply would like to purchase a plush doll for the kids at Phoenix Children’s can do so for 12 dollars here.

Coyotes players have volunteered in droves for Monday’s toy delivery visit.

“When we first mentioned this toy drop-off to them at the beginning of the year, everyone was an immediate yes,” Wampler said. “They see what happens when they’re out in the community, and they see it in the kids’ smiles. 

“It really makes it special for them.”

In the end, the event is one of the most memorable initiatives of the season, and one the Coyotes and Arizona Coyotes Foundation are proud to partner with Phoenix Children’s on.

“We have an incredible longstanding partnership with Phoenix Children’s; It’s one of our most meaningful partnerships that we’ve had for so many years,” Gutierrez said. “It’s very special, it’s very meaningful, and it’s something we look forward to here, leveraging our incredible platform and our incredible partnership to make a difference in the lives of these families.”