Christmas Stinks After Skunk Sprays Toy Donations For Needy Families

Darren Brown, News9.com

PURCELL, Oklahoma – Close to 800 children may be without Christmas toys and gifts after a skunk got into a donation storage facility for a McClain County charity.

Operation Christmas has been around for years and provides gift baskets and food for around 200 families in McClain County. But when a skunk got into a storage shed where they house toy donations, the charity had to scramble to air things out.

"When I walked in the fire department, guys came in and said ‘You better come and look at this.' And I walked out the door and you were knocked down with the smell of skunk," said Peggy Christian, an Operation Christmas volunteer. "We found a few pieces that we've been able to salvage, but a lot of it we don't think we have a chance for."

The animal left its mark all over Christmas, making the dance mats malodorous, the dolls disagreeable, the pizza ovens odiferous and the stuffed animals just plain smelly.

"I've already had a lot of phone calls. People here locally that have called and said ‘What can we do to help?'" said Christian.

Charity volunteers still plan on delivering the gifts this Friday, and Operation Christmas will go on as planned even with the casualties. So for the next couple days, Christian and others are placing their faith in the Oklahoma wind and the generosity of Oklahomans.

If you would like to help, you can drop off donations through 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Multi-Purpose Event Center located behind the Walmart in Purcell. You can also give monetary donations by sending a check to the McClain County Operation Christmas, P.O. Box 756 Purcell, OK 73080.