TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) — The city of Tuscaloosa is accepting toy donations to pay for parking tickets.

Tuscaloosa residents can pay off city overtime parking tickets with a toy donation to Toys for Tots. Toys valued at $10 or more will satisfy a $18 parking ticket.

Municipal Court Director Marion Williams says the program is being done to put smiles on the faces of local children for Christmas.

“You don’t have to have a parking ticket, you can come a contribute and give a toy,” Williams said. “If you have a ticket, that’s fine too we will take care of that but just think that you are just helping the community — I am helping children and I am helping a family provide for their children.”

The city has started the program in 2019. Anyone can drop off toys at the Tuscaloosa Municipal Court, regardless of ticket records.

“But we just want the children, as many as possible we can provide for, to put big smiles on their faces,” Williams said.

Williams says 105 toys have been donated and $3,000 has been collected this year, and 120 tickets have been wiped out. The deadline to participate in the Toys for Tickets program in exchange for ticket forgiveness is December 5th.