Many children will wake up on Christmas morning, eagerly waiting to tear open their gifts with their families. But there are some children who will not have that experience.

Students can have the opportunity to play Santa for those children by donating Christmas gifts to Child Protective Services in Fort Worth, Anna Livingston, a junior communication studies major, said.

Child Protective Services investigates reports of abuse and neglect of children and places children in foster care, according to the website.

The annual gift drive is sponsored by Order of Omega, a Greek honor society. The drive began this week in the BLUU with students picking up information cards about each child in protective services, Livingston said.

Tom Noxon, president of the university's chapter of Order of Omega, said Child Protective Services representatives distribute information cards about each child, which includes his or her age, clothing sizes, personal information and what he or she wants for Christmas.

“We are just a part of a large program that Child Protective Services does, and I think it is a great project for TCU to undertake,” Noxon said.

All students have to do is pick up a card, buy gifts, and then return them wrapped to the TCU Annual Tree Lighting on Nov. 27, where the toys will then be picked up, said Livingston. 

“Each card is sorted by their case worker and then they each have a code so that way they can sort the gifts,” Livingston said. 

Students willing to donate are also asked to write down their email addresses so they can remain in contact for logistics; it is a preventive matter to ensure each child is accounted for, Livingston said.

Livingston said that most people who passed by the table picked up one or more cards.