New Jersey man who joked about throwing a Walmart self-checkout party turns event into toy drive
A New Jersey man who jokingly created a Walmart self-checkout party on Facebook has transformed the event into an actual toy drive with thousands of people expected to donate.
The feel-good story began when Drew Delgado, of Toms River, sarcastically posted about hosting a party in the self-checkout aisle at Lanoka Harbor Walmart to celebrate “another successful year of picking, paying, and bagging your own groceries,” his Facebook event page said.
He never thought he’d see 21,000 people mark that they were interested in the event, prompting him to turn it into something bigger — and more realistic: a toy drive.
Since the change of plans, 37,000 Facebook users are now interested, with 6,500 saying they plan to attend the drive, according to the event page.
“While this started as a joke, it has me thinking. What if … I was to organize a big toy drive where we have a Santa Claus and then we all purchase toys from the store, pile them outside and then donate them to whatever children happen to come to the store?” Delgado wrote on the page.
“I genuinely believe that something good can come from this. Times are tough for a lot of people. I think this would be perfect.”
Although Walmart isn’t hosting the toy drive, the father of two contacted his local Elk’s Lodge to host the event.
“We got the Lacey Elks Lodge on board to help host a donation event on December 15th,” he wrote. “I’ll find a way to throw a banger Walmart party another time.”
Participants are asked to bring unwrapped gifts to the back parking lot of the community center, where guests can get pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus, as well as enjoy cups of hot chocolate.
For those who cannot attend the event, an Amazon Wishlist has been set up.
The Lodge posted the event on its Facebook page, writing: “Should be a nice night for all the right reasons.”
Delgado’s wife Nicole said her husband created the event as a joke and only expected a “few people” to see the event and “think it was a funny thing.”
“Within only a few days, he had a few thousand interested in coming to the event at Walmart and many asked if we could make it a toy drive,” she said, according to the Guardian.
The couple would like to make it an annual event if it goes well this year.
The Post has reached out to Delgado for comment.
Delgado’s toy drive will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 15 at the Lacey Elks Lodge in Forked River, New Jersey.
