More than $1,016 and 3,275 toys were donated to the eighth annual Bank Independent and WAFF48 Toy Share toy drive over the holidays – meeting 2018 goal totals and helping hundreds of families across seven counties, including Franklin.

“Toy Share is a program we look forward to every year thanks to our generous communities,” said Macke Mauldin, president of Bank Independent and CEO of its parent company BancIndependent, Inc. “This was our eighth year partnering with charities to distribute toys to children right here in our local communities. We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped us make this Christmas brighter for our neighbors and friends.”

Since the first Toy Share drive in 2011, partner organizations have distributed 25,100 toys and more than $7,370 to local families.

Toys were collected in all bank sales offices and were presented to partnering charitable organizations for distribution to local families prior to Christmas Day.

The recipient organization in Franklin County was the Department of Human Resources, which uses the donated toys each year to help ensure a happy Christmas for Franklin County foster children.

Other agencies serving each county included the Angel Tree Program in partnership with Lexington High School, Christmas Charities Year Round of Madison County, Committee on Church Cooperation of Morgan County, William Porter Foundation in the Shoals, Safeplace of the Shoals, Cornerstone Church in Lawrence County, Lauderdale County Christian Children’s Home, Department of Human Resources of Lawrence County, Department of Human Resources of Limestone County and Rogersville Volunteer Fire Department.

Toy Share was the last of four annual Share drives hosted by Bank Independent in 2018 to give back to the community as part of Bank Independent’s Helping Hands initiative. The first Share drive of 2019, Shelter Share, will run throughout the month of February. Shelter Share offers all Bank Independent locations as convenient donation points for pet food and supplies to be donated to area animal shelters.