WGN Toy Drive Breaks Record With 25,000+ Toys

WGN Chicago’s Morning News Drive-Thru Toy Drive celebrated its ninth year on Tuesday; its second tied to Jennifer Hudson. This four-hour event featured carolers, Santa, holiday fun, and an appearance by Jennifer Hudson.

Viewers and companies drove through to drop off a record number of toys — more than 25,000. To cap off the event, AT&T made a surprise announcement to Jennifer Hudson herself — a donation of $10,000 to her Julian D. King Gift Foundation.

All toys were donated to Jennifer Hudson’s foundation and will be dispersed to children at Drake Elementary School on Christmas Eve.

This year, WGN held four satellite toy drives prior to Tuesday’s event.

Jennifer Hudson’s Julian D. King Gift Foundation is named in honor of the singer-actress’s late nephew Julian King. The purpose of the foundation is to help provide holiday toys to needy children in Chicago.