Patrons of a Northwest Side hair salon on Dec. 16 can get discounted haircuts and free refreshments with Santa and donate toys that will go to local schoolchildren.
It's all part of a free, holiday giving event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day at Sports Buzz Haircuts, in Foothills Mall, 7401 N. La Cholla Blvd.
People can take free pictures with Santa and drop off a new, unwrapped toy donation for Miracle on Church Street, a holiday party for underprivileged children and their families.
Miracle on Church Street on Dec. 22 will give about 550 Amphitheater Public Schools children and their families hot meals and a bag of toys, said Lorraine Anderson, organization founder and director.
The school district has chosen which students will benefit.
Anyone who drops off a new, unwrapped toy anytime until Dec. 21 will get a haircut for $2 off, said Joan Crooks, who owns the Foothills Sports Buzz with her husband, Steve, and another couple, John Molloy and Lisa Jones.
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The business also will give a portion of its Dec. 16 sales to Miracle on Church Street, Crooks said.
Cafe Ramey, a restaurant at 1661 N. Swan Road, Suite 120, will donate free cookies and juice for the Dec. 16 toy drop.
What both businesses have in common is one employee — 29-year-old Samira Miqbel, who was inspired to help Miracle on Church Street after she read a newspaper article about the organization and its founder, Anderson.
Miqbel, who is a manager at Sports Buzz and a waitress at Ramey, told her employers about the cause.
That prompted both businesses to get involved.
"We were bouncing around what we could do here to try to help kids," said Richard Andersen, who owns the cafe with his wife, Claudia.
"We're a new business. We've only owned the business six months, but we wanted to try to do something."
Sports Buzz took its last advertising dollars for the year to produce a flier promoting the toy drop, Crooks said.
"Samira said she is getting a big, huge box" for the toy drive, Crooks said. "I'm hoping to get that stuffed. That's my goal."
And Miracle on Church Street welcomes the help, founder Anderson said.
This year's holiday party is the organization's 12th annual such event; it's helped about 46,000 children over the years.
This year, Anderson said she aims to distribute about 1,000 bags of toys.
"To see the happiness on their faces is worth it all," she said.
The details
• For more information on Miracle on Church Street, call 818-1871 or go online to www.tucsonmiracle.org.
If you go
• What: Toy donation for Miracle on Church Street and free cookies, juice and pictures with Santa.
• When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 16.
• Where: Sports Buzz Haircuts, located in Foothills Mall, 7401 N. La Cholla Blvd.
• For more information: Call 544-2899.
