MIDLAND, Texas — Midland Power Tools made the biggest donation of $60,000 worth of toys to the NewsWest 9 Toy Drive, partnered with the Salvation Army for its Angel Tree Program.
"I don't think we've ever got a toy donation this large before," said Captain Robert Coriston with the Salvation Army of Midland.
The donation comes as 1,400 families enrolled to the Angel Tree Program across four distribution areas including Odessa, Midland and Stanton.
In 2020, the small business opened its first brick and mortar location. However, an electrical fire burned down the store just a few months later, according to Lauren Rodriguez, the owner of Midland Power Tools.
"We wanted to be able to give back since everybody supported us through our hard time and they never gave up on us," said Rodriguez.
On Tuesday, the Salvation Army distributed donations in Midland as part of the Angel Tree Program. One of these was the Vargas family.
"The biggest impact this will have on my children is they’ll learn about sharing with others so they can see and they can do what the community has done for them," said Ramon Vargas, a Midland resident.
According to Rodriguez, the business initially bought the toys when Midland Power Tools first launched out of its home with hopes of offering a variety of selections.
The Salvation Army has a toy shop where toys are placed into the Angel bags. Not every family gets adopted. Toys that have been donated help the Salvation Army fill more Angel bags.
"The best part about this is knowing that all the children are going to have smiles on their faces," said Rodriguez.
Midland Power Tools is located at 2716 W Front St, Midland, TX. 79701.