ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Wheeling Police Department, Belmont County Sheriff and the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley are joining forces again for their eighth annual “Operation Toy Lift” in St. Clairsville on Saturday.

The toy drive event will kick off with a parade around the Ohio Valley Mall followed by the titular “Toy Lift,” where community figures will be lifted above the mall’s parking lot in a bucket truck to attract passerby towards the toy drive.

Santa will also be at the drive, which will take place just outside of Ulta in the parking lot, starting at 10 a.m.

Following Saturday’s event, the United Way will distribute the donated toys to children in need across the valley.

Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said that every year the event has gotten bigger than the year before and he expects the trend to continue on Saturday.

He noted how this area has always had a strong culture around giving back to the community despite its hardships.

“We’re not upper-scale socioeconomic status,” Schwertfeger said. “We’re not. So to still continue to give on such a scale is amazing.”

Belmont County Sheriff David Lucas echoed this sentiment, noting just how many people get involved and return to help with the event year after year.

“It has grown. It’s unbelievable how much,” he said. “There’s a lot of people that deserve a pat on the back, the Ohio Valley Mall, the United Way and everybody else involved.”

The main preparation for Saturday has involved coordinating with volunteers leading up to the event and making sure they are fed, Schwertfeger said.

“It’s really a lot of fun, it is work but it’s a lot of fun, this time of year especially it’s just nice seeing everybody come together,” he said.

Of the local celebrities that will be going up in the bucket trucks to entice shoppers towards the toy drive are reporters with local news stations, members of the Nailers hockey team, and Wheeling University President Dianna Vargo, Schwertfeger said.

This will be Lucas’ last year doing Operation Toy Drive in this capacity as he wraps up his term as sheriff. He and Schwertfeger have worked together on the event since its conception eight years ago.

“It’s bittersweet but I’m sure he’ll still be around,” Schwertfeger said.

Lucas initially connected Schwertfeger with leaders from Ohio Valley Mall to get the first event off the ground and has taken on a lot of responsibility in the years since, Schwertfeger said.

“We do this for one reason: for our kids. Christmas is about giving,” Lucas said. “What we have done over the last years have made a lot of kids’ Christmas a lot better.”