Christmas shopping can be a stressful ordeal for many families, but lower income families may face even harder times trying to prepare. The Carter County Sheriff’s Auxiliary, however, is planning a solution to relieve some of the burden on what is often considered a joyous holiday season.

The Carter County Sheriff’s Auxiliary held a meeting Thursday evening to finalize the details on their upcoming Toy Drive event.

Chairwoman of the Auxiliary Susan Reece said the event will take place December 15 at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT).

“That is where the children can come to pick up their toys,” Reece said.

She said the event is an opportunity for underprivileged children to pick out toys they want at no cost to the family. She described it as a kind of shopping trip without the money.

The auxiliary has been collecting donations of money and toys for the past few weeks through a variety of fundraiser events, including a drama and poetry presentation at Happy Valley High School.

The school held a Halloween and fall-themed presentation of works from writers such as Edgar Allen Poe. They said they planned on donating roughly 60 percent of the proceeds from the event to the auxiliary for their event, and they presented their check of $516 during the meeting.

Reece said they have been reaching out to many different businesses and organizations throughout the county to raise money and awareness for the event.

“We have donation boxes at East Tennessee State University, among other places,” she said.

The auxiliary also received a $100 gift card from Kroger they could use towards supplies and toys.

The boxes will remain throughout the county for the remainder of November. Reece said the group will begin collecting them between December 3 and December 10.

The auxiliary also discussed the possibility of treat bags, and decided it would be easier to not include fruit in the bags this year as opposed to previous years.

“We might be getting a Santa suit from Headstart,” Reece said, though they are still waiting for the confirmation.

The auxiliary plans to begin setting up for the event Friday afternoon, Dec. 14, and taking everything down Sunday, Dec. 16.