This holiday season, Books-A-Million and 2nd & Charles stores across Alabama joined forces with their communities to spread joy to young patients and families at Children’s of Alabama.

Thanks to the remarkable generosity of customers and booksellers, the stores collected $150,000 in book and toy donations — over 11,000 items in total — marking a 25% increase from last year.

“We are so grateful to the teams at Books-A-Million and 2nd & Charles for their efforts to help make the holidays brighter for our patients and their families,” said Crawford Daniel, Community Development Coordinator at Children’s of Alabama. “This collaboration will make a huge difference not only in our patients and their family’s lives during the holiday season but all year long.”

The contributions support the Sugar Plum Shop, a free holiday shopping experience exclusively for families of hospitalized children. This special program allows parents and caregivers to select gifts for their little ones without leaving the hospital, enabling families to focus on spending time together while still celebrating the magic of the season.

“This initiative is a heartwarming reminder of the incredible kindness and generosity of our communities,” said Olivia McDaniel, vice president of marketing. “We are honored to partner with the Sugar Plum Shop and brighten the holidays for children and families during challenging times.”

For more information about the Sugar Plum Shop and how to support its mission, visit sugarplumshop.org.