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The men’s basketball team is inviting its fans to “play along” with its annual Toys for Tots drive, being held at this week’s game against Sacramento State.

Can’t make the game, but still want to help? You can find Toys for Tots collection barrels around the campus, or you can send toys through campus mail with a note marked “Toys for Tots.” The deadline is Dec. 14.

All Toys for Tots donations should be new and unwrapped. They'll go to the Marine Corps League of Yolo County, for its annual toy distribution.

Every fan who donates a toy will be entered to win lift tickets to Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort. A limited number of free T-shirts will also be given out.

Mail Services is taking care of the collection barrels around the campus and handling the toys that come through campus mail. Collection barrels will be placed at the following locations this week and next — look for them starting Wednesday (Dec. 2).

• Fire Department, Kleiber Hall Drive
• Police Department, Kleiber Hall Drive
• Office of the Vice Chancellor-Chief Financial Officer: Finance, Operations and Administration, 376 Mrak Hall
• Plant and Environmental Sciences Building
• Human Resources, Orchard Road
• Facilities Management business office, Crocker Lane
• Communication Resources trailer
• Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2801 Second St.
• Accounting and Financial Services, 1441 Research Park Drive
• Safety Services, Hoagland Hall
• Office of Development, Conference Center, second floor
• Shared Services Center, 260 Cousteau Place
• Office of Research, 1850 Research Park Drive, Suite 300
• Office of the Registrar, 3100 Dutton Hall
• University Extension, 1333 Research Park Drive

Holiday Food Drive: 2,487 pounds

Mail Services also runs a Holiday Food Drive each year, and the results are in from this year’s effort, which ran from Nov. 2 to 20 — nearly 2,500 pounds of food in all.

The Yolo Food Bank received 1,423 pounds of food from the Davis campus, while Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services got 1,064 pounds of food donated by employees at the �ٺ���Ƶ Health System. �ٺ���Ƶ staff delivered the donated food last week.

Separately, Team Physics raised $4,316 for the Yolo Food Bank through the team's participation in last week's Running of the Turkeys.

Mercer Clinic Holiday Pet Baskets

�ٺ���Ƶ staff members and others behind this effort are making their annual appeal for monetary donations.

The program, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, benefits cats and dogs at the Mercer Clinic in Sacramento. The clinic for the pets of homless people is independent of �ٺ���Ƶ, although faculty, staff and students are heavily involved, all as volunteers.

Likewise, the people who run the gift basket program are all volunteers — staff members and others associated with the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. This year they hope to provide 130 holiday-wrapped gift boxes with pet toys, treats, food and brushes, and 200 sweaters and 200 coats to help pets survive the winter weather.

“With El Nino expected to bring more rain to our region this winter, it is especially important that we provide the coats and sweaters as well as the holiday basket supplies for these companion animals,” said Eileen Samitz, a recently retired veterinary hospital staffer who coordinates the holiday basket program. “The coats and sweaters are particularly important for smaller and older pets, which are more sensitive to the cold weather that is a such a difficult part of wintertime life on the streets.”

Monetary donations are tax-deductible and can be made in two ways:

• By check payable to UC Regents-Mercer Holiday Pet Baskets and mailed to the School of Veterinary Medicine, Office of the Dean, P.O. Box 1167, Davis 95617-1167, attention: Mercer monetary donations are tax-deductible.