Reminder: Last days to donate to Christmas in July

UPDATE: Reminder that the drive ends Thursday, July 25. All donation items will be picked up early Friday for transport to Adams Transfer & Storage Company. All large items can be delivered directly to Adams through Friday, July 26.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Tornadoes may only last a few minutes to an hour, but the damage they create lingers for much longer. Such is the case in Moore, Oklahoma, where on May 20, an F5 tornado devastated the city. One month later, the residents of Moore are still cleaning up debris while trying to resume their lives.

Shortly after the tornado hit, Woodlands Online took action and put together a relief project in 48 hours. Thanks to the help of the community, Sooner Container and Adams Transfer & Storage Co., an 18-wheeler was filled with donations of food, water and other necessities for the residents and volunteers in Moore as they began the dubious task of cleaning up what the tornado left behind. Now, Woodlands Online is organizing yet another donation drive, this time to help bring hope and joy to those who lost so much.

The drive will take place July 1 through July 25, but it wouldn’t be “Christmas in July” without Santa Claus. Lone Star Santas, a non-profit organization that provides disaster relief for children with their ‘Convoy of Toys,’ has become a partner for the project. For six years the Lone Star Santas have brought joy to children in the disaster locations of Joplin, Mo, West, TX, and Moore, OK. The Santas will act as goodwill ambassadors to ensure the true spirit of Christmas is embraced, despite the hot summer weather. For more information about the organization visit the Lone Star Santas website.

Several donation drop-off locations are set up around The Woodlands, Conroe and Spring inside local businesses to make donating easy. We do ask that larger items go directly to Adams Transfer & Storage Co., which is generous enough to take the donations to Moore. The businesses currently taking donations are below. Please check back on this list periodically as we will be adding more:

Adams Transfer & Storage Co. - 310 Post Oak Drive, Conroe, TX 77301

adWhite - 33300 Egypt Lane, Suite F300

Community Baptist Church - 8909 Cochrans Crossing Drive

Gordley Plastic Surgery - 4850 W. Panther Creek Drive, Suite 105

Guri do Sul - 1400 Research Forest Dr. at Pinecroft

Massage Envy Indian Springs - 10807 Kuykendahl Rd., Suite 400

Massage Envy Market Street - 9595 Six Pines Drive, Suite 1430

Mobile Insurance Agency - 25775 Oak Ridge Drive, Suite 110

Impact Printing - 809 Cable Street, Conroe, TX 77301

Olympia Tae Kwon Do - 18519 Kuykendahl Rd. Spring, TX

Axiom Medical Consulting, LLC - 25511 Budde Road, Suite 801 (The Franklin Building)

LyndWorld: The Dominion - 15596 I-45 South

Woodlands Online will also be taking donations at their new office after the move is complete in mid-July. In addition, small items may be brought to Woodlands Online's booth at Red, Hot & Blue on July 4.

We ask that all items donated be new - with the exception of gently used furniture and electronics such as TVs. Some ideas for donations are listed below, but the drive is not limited to these items:

-Small kitchen appliances (toasters, blenders, etc.)

-Dinnerware

-Bedsheets

-Toys

-Stuffed animals

-Furniture (new or gently used)

-TVs and electronics (new or gently used)

-Personal care & beauty supplies

-Arts and crafts

-Backpacks

Many Woodlands residents have close ties to our neighbors to the north. Jessica Fraser, CEO of Digital Texas, Woodlands native and University of Oklahoma graduate, has friends and family in the area affected.

“As soon as I saw the tornado rip through the town, I wondered what we could do to help,” Fraser said. “The wonderful thing about Woodlands Online is our ability to quickly act to help our neighbors - no matter where they may be in the United States. It’s a privilege to impact our own community on a daily basis, as well as impact the lives of those outside of our Woodlands community. At the end of the day, we’re all family.”

Regardless of what is donated, each item will be appreciated by the many families who now have to pick up where they left off. The kind gesture will help rekindle the hope that many lost on that May afternoon. Many thanks to Adams Transfer & Storage Co. for volunteering to take these items up to be distributed to the residents of Moore.

Donations will be delivered to Beacon Self Storage in Edmond, OK who partner with Red Cross and Salvation Army to distribute to the families in need.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: #MooreChristmasinJuly