Meshele Tomplait is expecting a baby any day and to help her out, local Girl Scout troop 5107 decided to take on her annual project of collecting Hot Wheels for James.

Last year Tomplait collected more than 400 of the toy cars to donate to Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital in memory of her son, James Timothy Tomplait, who died in a drowning accident in 2009.

This year with the added responsibilities of preparing for a new baby, Tomplaiat said she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold the toy drive and said she was very happy that the Girl Scouts decided to carry on in her absence.

“Sometime in August or September the troop came to me and asked if they could handle collecting the Hot Wheels and I said OK, Great,” said Tomplait.

Two of Tomplait’s daughters are members of the troop, Secilya, who is 12, and Ellie who is 10.

Jennifer Cowan, the Girl Scout troop leader, said the girls decided this year they wanted to collect 800 Hot Wheels because James would have been eight years old.

Cowan said the troop has presented their toy drive efforts to groups in Vicksburg and also in Jackson.

“The Girl Scouts attended a Back to School Bash at Jackson Academy and the girls set up a booth and got other Girl Scouts in the Jackson area to help us collect the toys,” said Cowan.

Last year all the Hot Wheels were donated to the Blair E. Batson, but this year the troop decided to keep some of the cars local and donate them to the emergency room at River Region Medical Center.

Cowan said troop 5107 is made up of Junior and Cadette Girl Scouts from ages 10 to 13 years old.

The deadline to donate Hot Wheels is Dec. 5 and collection boxes are set up at the Cricket Box, 3040 Halls Ferry Road; This ‘N’ That Gifts & More, 1640 U.S. 61 North; Pemberton Hairstylist, 3505 Pemberton Square Blvd.; the Southern Cultural Heritage Center, 1302 Adams St.; The Vicksburg Post, 1601-F N. Frontage Road; Piggly Wiggly, 4306 Halls Ferry Road; Fantastic Finds, 1370 Culkin Road; and the Girl Scout office in Jackson, 1471 W. County Line Road.

The donated cars should be new, individual Hot Wheels and not wrapped.

For more informtion, visit Facebook.com/hotwheelsforjames