A local teenager has been busy once again this year, collecting toys for his "Cuddles For Kids" campaign. All the hard work paid off on Friday as he and his classmates distributed the toys to patients in a hospital.

The program started six years ago when Conner Hagins' father was in a hospital for a double bypass surgery. He was given a teddy bear to hug to help with his breathing. Conner had asked a nurse if all the children in the hospital received stuffed animals too at Christmas, and when he was told "no," he started a charity that would do just that.

Hagins was only 9 years old at the time, but now he's a freshman at Bishop McCort High School. He receives donations from companies near and far, as well as from community members and McCort students. Every year the program has grown, and this year he's collected close to 500 stuffed animals to distribute to every patient in the hospital. And even though students had the day off from school on Friday, Hagins received tons of help from his peers as they dropped off the plush toys to each room and brought with them plenty of smiles along the way.

"They [don't] expect that it would happen, and they're not used to having someone come in and give them a stuffed animal while they're in the hospital," said Hagins. "But they have a smile on their face, and it's just good to see them happy over the holidays."