My 6-year-old asked me why so many stores were already decorated for Christmas. Excellent question! Good thing she didn’t hear Big Crosby belting out carols on the radio. How do you explain to a first-grader that the spirit of love and giving has been overrun by commercialization?

Helping out someone in need is a good way to show your kids that the holiday season is more than expensive gifts and new toys. For the past nine years, FOX 2 and Dierbergs have teamed up with Operation Food Search for a holiday food drive.

On Monday, Nov. 22, FOX 2 News’ Tim Ezell and his friend Yogi Bear will be broadcasting the station’s morning show live from the Ballwin Dierbergs at Manchester and Baxter Road. Yogi and Ezell will be greeting shoppers and accepting donations of turkeys, canned goods and other shelf-stable food items. Have your cell phone camera ready to get a picture of your kids with everyone’s favorite pic-a-nic basket-stealing bear.

KPLR 11’s Patrick Clark will be broadcasting the 4 p.m. news from the store. Everyone who stops by the live broadcast will have the opportunity to win advance tickets to a sneak preview of the new movie Yogi Bear. Donations will be accepted until 8 p.m.

If you don’t have time to shop, purchase a prepackaged bag of nutritious food for $5 or $10. Customers can also easily donate to the food drive by buying $5, $10 or $15 scanner coupons.

Operation Food Search is one of the largest distributors of free food in the bi-state area. By distributing food and household items to 265 community partner agencies, Operation Food Search feeds 120,000 people each month.

By Andrea Wilson, Events Blogger for SmartParenting