CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Operation Christmas Child sent out its' final gifts Thursday. It's a project headed by Boone-based charity Samaritan's Purse, which is headed by Franklin Graham. This year there were a couple of toys ruled out for children this Christmas.
Millions of shoeboxes are being shipped across the world to children in need this holiday season. It's a part of Samaritan Purse's Operation Christmas Child.
Christmas is a week from Friday, but this year when kids around the world open their Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes, they'll be without Harry Potter and Pokémon toys.
"It's so exciting to see all these shoe boxes come in and see the fruit of your labor," said Lindsay Tunnell, Operation Christmas Child.
Thanks to the helpful hands of 35,000 volunteers, more than 2.4 million shoeboxes alone went through Charlotte's processing center. Samaritan Purse's little helpers made a list and they checked it twice, ensuring the contents in the box were appropriate for all children. This year that famous wizard from Hogwartz, Harry Potter, and Pokémon were added to the list.
"We reevaluate the inappropriates every years, so that's the standard for this year," said Tunnell.
Samaritan's Purse is a Christian based organization. Randy Riddle, domestic director for Operation Christmas Child, sent this statement, in part:
"Operation Christmas Child works with church partners in more than 100 countries from a number of denominations and realizes that not every partner has the same views."
Nancy Ennis, senior minister at Unity of Charlotte, participated in Operation Christmas Child. Kids from her own church filled shoe boxes.
"Harry Potter is welcome in our church," said Ennis. "Harry Potter movies and books have been used for the children."
She doesn't necessarily agree with the decision to take Harry Potter's magic out of the box, but understands, to a certain extent.
"We all have our own beliefs, but that's not anything we would believe here," said Ennis.
