A Charity has given its annual Christmas appeal a sporting twist in honour of the 2012 Olympic Games.
Operation Christmas Child is one of the UK's largest children's charity projects and distributed more than one million shoe boxes full of gifts to needy children last year.
The gifts are intended to bring happiness to youngsters living in refugee camps, hospitals, street shelters and children's homes.
The project, run by Christian charity Samaritan's Purse, started in 1990 to help children who were living in terrible conditions in Romanian orphanages.
Now, the UK operation sends boxes of gifts to countries including Haiti, Belarus, Serbia and Kenya.
This year, people are asked to include a sporty item in their shoe box to mark the Olympic Games in 2012.
Jane Simmonds, the Derbyshire regional manager for Operation Christmas Child, said: "With 2012 being an Olympic year, we are asking supporters to think about including some sporting items in their shoe boxes, as many children are inspired by sport even when life is hard.
"As well as supporters putting in welcome Christmas gifts and educational items, we hope that they may include something like a tennis ball or skipping rope."
John Gatt has been the Derby co-ordinator for Operation Christmas Child for four years.
He said: "In the past, the response from the people of Derby has been amazing, despite the difficult economic climate in the UK.
"This year, we are hoping to get even more people enthusiastic about the project in the excitement leading up to the Olympics in 2012 by introducing a sporty theme.
"The wonderful thing about this project is that you're giving a gift of hope to a child who would probably not receive a gift from their own family."
Shoe boxes must be handed in by November 18.
Anyone wishing to take part in this year's campaign can visit www.operationchristmaschild.org, or call 0870 011 2002, for further details on what to put in a box, how to pack it and where to send it for collection.