Ramona company goes big for Toys for Tots at airport

Every year it’s the same thing. When October hits, David Williams of WakeWorld.com, described as the world’s most-read wakeboarding publication, starts gathering donations.

He asks pro wakeboarders and wakeboarding companies to donate whatever products they can spare. Once he’s gathered all the goodies he can get his hands on, he sets up Ebay auctions and sells everything online over seven days at the end of November.

In 2012, Williams set up over 100 auctions and raised over $8,700.

Once the money is collected and the products are all shipped to their new owners, the fun begins, he said. Williams and his family take the money and head to the store to buy as many toys as they can fit in their vehicles. It’s a daunting, but incredibly fun challenge, they agree.

“The most we’ve been able to spend and squeeze in is almost $6,000,” said Williams. “That paid for about 300 toys and five bikes and we filled a minivan and a Suburban to the hilt. The rest of the money we donated to Toys For Tots in cash.”

This Is WakeWorld’s ninth year of fundraising for the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program and, thanks to the generosity of the wakeboarding community, they have donated over $56,000 worth of toys and cash to date.

The 2013 auctions started on Tuesday, Nov. 26, and will end on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Items available for auction include a 2014 Tige R20 wakeboard boat, the Hyperlite Marek wakeboard ridden by two-time World Champion Rusty Malinoski when he won Worlds earlier this year, packages from pro wakeboarders Shaun Murray, Danny Harf, Shawn Watson, Andrew Adkison and many others, wakeboards and other accessories from CWB, O’Brien, Nautique, Rockstar Energy and more.

A list of all the auctions items is available on WakeWorld.com. “It is our goal to leverage WakeWorld’s incredible amount of traffic in order to generate as much money as possible for this effort,” said Williams. “One hundred percent of the profits from these auctions will go to Toys for Tots. It’s been a fun way for us to do what we can to help out those that are less fortunate!”

WakeWorld will be donating the toys and cash generated by this year’s auctions at the Ramona Toys For Tots drive at the Ramona Airport on Saturday, Dec. 7, between 10 a.m and 2 p.m.

Toys for Tots collects new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year and distributes those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the region. For additional information, visit ToysForTots.org.

“Please come out and join WakeWorld in donating to this great cause,” Williams said of the Toys for Tots drive at Ramona Airport.

He invites persons or companies interested in getting involved in his effort next year to contact him at dave@wakeworld.com or 619-204-2885.