Officials with the Salvation Army are hoping to be able to fill seven Valley Regional Transit buses with new toys this weekend to help families in need during the holiday season.

To do that, they need help from Treasure Valley residents.

The 16th Annual “Stuff the Bus” event will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at seven Fred Meyer stores throughout the Valley. The Salvation Army is asking people to donate new, unwrapped toys or gift cards for families in need, with the hope that all seven buses and all seven stores will be full by the end of the day.

The Salvation Army will then give those toys to families in time for Christmas.

The Valley Regional Transit (VRT) will provide the buses and drivers.

Transit department staffers and board members will help dozens of volunteers collect the toys and then drive them over to Salvation Army distribution centers in Boise and Nampa. People have donated more than 80,000 toys during the “Stuff the Bus” event over the past 15 years.

The buses will be parked by main doors at the following Fred Meyer stores:

• 5230 W. Franklin Road on the Boise Bench

• 3527 S. Federal Way in southeast Boise

• 10751 W. Overland Road in southwest Boise

• 5425 W. Chinden Blvd. in Garden City

• 1850 E. Fairview Road in Meridian

• 1400 W. Chinden Blvd. in Eagle

• 50 2nd Street South in Nampa