Tenth Annual Totes 2 Tots Suitcase Drive for Foster Children

Georgia Cancer Specialists (GCS)—a Top 10 private cancer practice in the U.S.—will sponsor the tenth annual Totes 2 Tots suitcase drive for foster children in January. Twenty-five GCS offices across Georgia—including in Lawrenceville—will participate in the drive Friday, January 13, 2012, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The GCS-Gwinnett office is located at 698 Duluth Highway Suite 201, in Lawrenceville. To participate, simply drop off a new or nearly new bag Friday, January 13, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the office.

Totes 2 Tots delivers new or nearly new backpacks and kid-sized suitcases to foster children in Georgia—from infants to teenagers—many of whom must shuffle their belongings from home to home in garbage bags during frequent relocations. The annual volunteer event was first launched by GCS in 2003 and has collected and distributed more than 25,000 bags. Originally held on Martin Luther King Day as a way to honor Dr. King’s vision and give back to the community, Totes is now held on the Friday before MLK Day as a kickoff to a weekend of service.

For more information, or to see the full list of participating offices, visit www.gacancer.com or Facebook.com/Totes2Tots, or call 1-877-716-CARE (2273).

GCS Chief Operating Officer Dr. Wendy Hawke Lenz said, “Totes 2 Tots captures the spirit of Georgia Cancer Specialists and our practice-wide commitment to helping others. By hosting the event to launch the Martin Luther King weekend, we believe that we honor Dr. King’s dream as we provide tangible reminders to the foster children in our state that someone cares about them.” 

GCS partners with the Division of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS) to distribute the bags in the counties in which they’re collected.

"The Department of Human Services is extremely gratified to all those involved with the Totes 2 Tots initiative.  The program represents compassionate recognition of the trauma often involved for children impacted by the child welfare system," said DHS Commissioner Clyde Reese. "Having a decent traveling case or overnight bag to carry a child's belongings may seem like a small thing, but, in reality, these totes contain not only quickly gathered items but the fears, uncertainties, hopes and dreams of children caught in a whirlwind not of their own making.  I thank those who contribute and encourage all to consider being a part of this program." 

In 2005, WSB-TV recognized the importance of the drive and agreed to support it as a part of its Family 2 Family Project. This will be the eighth year that GCS and WSB-TV have partnered for Totes 2 Tots. Family 2 Family is the longest running locally produced, comprehensive, station-wide public service effort in Georgia. It includes shows such as People 2 People, a weekly half-hour public affairs program hosted by Jocelyn Dorsey that chronicles events and newsmakers in metro Atlanta.