Junk Removal company delivers Christmas cheer with toy donation to Salvation Army

A local junk removal company is spreading holiday cheer by donating hundreds of toys to the Salvation Army.

Junk King owner Kyle Fagan said the company was hired to clear out a liquidation centre that had gone out of business north of the city.

Among the items left behind were bins full of toys, which the crew didn't want to discard.

"One thing that we noticed was that it was a small place that a customer didn't know what to do," said Fagan.

"After calling around in a bunch of different places, I got in touch with the Salvation Army, who had said that they had a massive shortage of toys this year, which worked out perfectly for us because we had almost 2,000 toys that we had to get rid of."

The company has been operating in Calgary for about a year.

Staff are tasked with clearing homes or businesses of junk from one item to an entire warehouse.

The Salvation Army said it was facing a critical shortage of toys for local low-income families this Christmas.

"We are seeing more children this year who have applied for toy support with their families—close to 8,000 children, which is more than we've ever had before," said Ian McKenzie, public relations officer with the Salvation Army.

The donated toys will be distributed to families in need on Monday and Tuesday.

"So, there won't be much leftover," McKenzie said.

"It will mean a little extra push next year when we go through the process."

McKenzie noted that the organization typically sees a higher demand for toys for children aged three to 12.

The Salvation Army is aiming to raise $850,000 this year through its Kettle campaign to support vital programs but currently remains $250,000 short of its target.

The campaign is set to conclude Tuesday at noon.

Donations can be made by dropping cash into the red kettles stationed at various locations throughout the city.