From the queen's desk   

Be a part of the millionth! 

I can hardly believe that we are already in the middle of November. As I prepare for Thanksgiving, I reflect on all the areas of my life I'm thankful for. In 1990 when the Family Giving Tree began, I could never have imagined that our drive would help so many children. It fills my heart with joy, and I thank all of you for your donations and for volunteering in our warehouse throughout the years.

This year as our workshop picks up speed we are getting ready to celebrate our millionth child! That's right, we are about to fulfill a million wishes! This holiday season, join us in delivering even more children's wishes by donating online, or picking up a wish tag. Together we can brighten the lives and faces of precious children this holiday season.

Thank you,

- Jennifer Cullenbine, Queen Elf 

We are thrilled to have SanDisk as our Presenting Sponsor for the Holiday Wish Drive! They have been a major corporate supporter of our drive since 2001, and through the years their employees have provided more than 10,000 wished for holiday gifts.

As part of their efforts this year, they have filmed a spot with NBC to encourage support for this year's drive. To learn more about holiday sponsorships contact Jeanne Clabaugh at (408) 946-3111x225 or Theo Olson at (408) 946-3111x210.

We've seen the big toy catalogs and read the hottest toy reviews, but the children on our lists have spoken up!

This year, the Elves are celebrating an important milestone of fulfilling the wish of our millionth child, and we've compiled our annual list of their "Top 20 Requested Gifts".

Did your favorite toy as a child make the list, or are the new trends taking over? Find out now!

The holiday season is full of opportunities to "go green", from recycled wrapping paper, to gifts made from renewable sources. It's always great to hear about how the companies we work with have made their Holiday Wish Drive a little greener:

"The Intuit Green Team is sponsoring FGT this year, and with each of our 625 tags a compostable bag will be provided. Employees will take their wish card and bag to the store with them and return the gift inside it. When we deliver our gifts to the FGT warehouse, we will use 40-gallon compostable bags as our Santa's Sacks. FGT has worked hard to win California Waste Reduction Awards and we are proud to partner with them to reduce landfill by using these compostable bags. Hopefully our experiment will be successful!"

- Jane Horton, Intuit.

Does your company or group have a story to share?  Join the conversation on Facebook! 

KRTY and Westgate Shopping Center are promoting a shopping spree for the Family Giving Tree on Saturday, December 8th from 10AM to 6PM.

You can pick a wish from the Westgate tree, or grab a handy "top ten" gift list when you get there. With lots of stores to choose from, you will find it easy to make this a very special holiday for a deserving child.

FGT elves will be there to answer questions, and barrels will be provided to collect your gifts. You are all invited to join in and help wishes come true! Questions? Call Susan at (408) 946-3111x224