CTV Toronto and The Salvation Army Usher In Holiday Cheer with 21st Annual TOY MOUNTAIN Holiday Campaign

TORONTO (November 25, 2016) – As the anticipation builds with the holidays just around the corner, CTV Toronto will be fast at work collecting a mountain of toys for families in need for the 21^st Annual TOY MOUNTAIN campaign in support of The Salvation Army. CTV Toronto launches its live remote schedule today, running through to December 21, with a festive live broadcast from Yonge-Dundas Square tonight at 6 p.m. The annual charitable toy collection proudly marks more than two decades of helping make the season brighter for thousands of children across the GTA. TOY MOUNTAIN hopes to surpass last year’s realized goal of collecting 150,000 new unwrapped toys, and encourages Torontonians to embrace the spirit of the holidays by donating generously to all age groups, with an emphasis on the greatest area of need: Girls aged 7-9, and Boys and Girls aged 10-17. CTV Toronto Weather Anchor Tom Brown proudly leads the TOY MOUNTAIN collection effort for the 12^th consecutive year, delivering live progress updates throughout the duration of the campaign on CTV NEWS AT SIX, Toronto’s most-watched news broadcast. Viewers can track the location of daily events by visiting the Toy Mountain campaign calendar, and tuning in each evening to catch Brown’s daily reports live from various collection stops across the GTA. Brown officially closes out the TOY MOUNTAIN campaign on Wednesday, Dec. 21 with a live report from the CTV Toronto studio during that evening’s CTV NEWS AT SIX. “I watch the mountain of toys getting bigger each year and it’s all thanks to the unbelievable generosity of our viewers in our community,” said Brown. “TOY MOUNTAIN is my favourite event of the holiday season and I’m honoured to be a part of the magic for the 12^th year in a row.” “Looking back over 21 years, our viewers have demonstrated the true spirit of the holidays by giving generously to help thousands of families across the GTA,” said Joanne MacDonald, Vice-President, CTV News. “TOY MOUNTAIN is an enduring holiday tradition that has created so many memorable moments. We thank our viewers for their generosity, and for bringing joy to so many children and families in need.” TOY MOUNTAIN’s dedicated online portal Toronto.CTVNews.ca/more/Toy-Mountain features a list of drop-off locations, a live remote calendar, social media feeds, and more. Users are able to make financial donations online and receive a tax receipt from The Salvation Army. Supporters can also receive social media updates from the campaign by following @ToyMountain and joining the campaign’s Facebook page. Corporations and individuals can get involved with TOY MOUNTAIN by visiting SalvationArmy.ca or calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY. The TOY MOUNTAIN campaign is upheld by the strong and longstanding partnership between CTV Toronto and The Salvation Army, with CTV Toronto driving promotional efforts, while collection and distribution logistics are managed by The Salvation Army. The TOY MOUNTAIN campaign is made possible with the generous support of major sponsors, Toronto Area Ford Dealers and Marshalls Canada. “Every year thousands of families in the GTA come to The Salvation Army for a little extra help during the Christmas season – families we would not be able to support without the generosity of the community and our partners,” said Neil W. Leduke, Divisional Director of Marketing and Communications for The Salvation Army. “CTV Toronto is a wonderful partner and friend to The Salvation Army and we are very thankful for their dedication in helping make sure that every child who comes to us will have a toy on Christmas morning.  For more than 20 years the TOY MOUNTAIN campaign has helped make us stronger as a community.” In 2015, The Salvation Army in Toronto provided thousands of children with toys and other practical items, and more than 30,000 families with assorted food hampers through its Christmas assistance program.