What/Who: Drexel’s Main Building Great Court is looking like Santa’s workshop with Drexel “elves” bundling toys into eco-friendly bags from carts overflowing with gifts. The toys will be distributed primarily to West and North Philadelphia children. Students, faculty and staff are giving up their lunch hour this week to give Santa a helping hand and bag more than 5,000 gifts in Philadelphia’s largest toy drive. Drexel is once again going “green” for the holiday toy drive, reflecting the eco-friendly spirit at the University and its initiative for a more sustainable environment. Santa will arrive next week to distribute the toys to representatives of more than 50 local organizations, who will later give the gifts to children in West and North Philadelphia.Visuals: • With Christmas carols in the background, Drexel students, faculty and staff bagging gift after gift in eco-friendly Drexel bags. • Decorations featuring energy-efficient lights, faux snow and flags in celebration of Drexel’s diverse campus adorn the Victorian Great Court. • Over-sized red and green bags with a Drexel Dragon printed on each.When: Wednesday, December 9 through Friday, December 11, 2009, from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.Where: The Great Court of Drexel’s Main Building (32nd and Chestnut Streets).News Media Contact: Niki Gianakaris, Director, Drexel University News Bureau 215-895-6741, 215-778-7752 (cell) or ngianakaris@drexel.eduPhoto Caption: Brian Keech, vice president for the Office of Government and Community Relations, at last year's distribution ceremony.
