Operation Christmas Child is back for another year.

The annual event has shoe boxes packed with toys, hygiene products or school supplies sent to countries where children are in desperate need.

High River coordinator Jim Graham says it may seem early but they're right on track.

"We usually try to get our boxes out the last week of September and into the first week in October so we're just on track," Graham says. "We have about a thousand boxes out in High River this year so far."

Graham says they like to get the boxes out early so that if people want to have a special get together like a packing party they can do that.

He says the numbers have remained pretty steady after a drop right after the flood, which was understandable.

"Last year we were well over 900 boxes that went from this area. We usually have been 7 or 800 or more," he says. "We used to do it with Okotoks but it got too big so Okotoks has their own program running as well and they, unfortunately, beat us last year, they had about 1,200 boxes."

The boxes are headed to Central and South America with a special transport to children in Ukraine caught up in the conflict there.

He says boxes are available at local churches and at the Shopper's Drug Mart along with information on what sorts of things to pack.