Lurie Children's Hospital is making the season a little brighter for families spending the holidays in the hospital.

Digital creator Yanni Dimoulis, who was a patient at Lurie 27 years ago when he was treated for leukemia as a child, has organized a toy drive for the hospital for the past seven years, collecting donated toys for children at Lurie.

The hospital's annual "Winter Wonderland" event allows families of patients spending the holidays at Lurie are invited to browse through those donated gifts, and choose presents for their children.

"Everything's free. These are all donated items from the community," said Marlee Speak, senior child life specialist at Lurie. "They're able to shop for the holidays for the patient in the hospital. We get a range of all sorts of items for all ages and developmental levels."

On Tuesday, Dimoulis spent the day unloading a truckload of toys and other gifts, and sorting them out for the final day of his toy drop-off.

"Last year, we had a cargo van. So this year is a 10-foot U-Haul truck," he said.

It's the seventh year in a row Yanni has organized a toy drive for patients at Lurie. In 1998, Dimoulis was a patient at the hospital, which was then known as Children's Memorial Hospital, to be treated for leukemia.

"I know what it feels like to be one of the kids that are in the hospital during the holidays. You feel kind of trapped," "The gifts are … the least of the sense of normalcy you can bring to these kids; some sort of traditional little bit of fun."

Speak said it's a joyful way to brighten the season for families spending the holidays at the hospital.

"Just knowing that this is all free to them is such a weight lifted off of these families," Speak said. "To have that passion to want to bring a community together and just donate all of this to these children, I get goosebumps every time I think about it."

Dimoulis said he hopes the annual toy drive will keep growing.

"Of course I'll do this next year, and the year after that, and the year after that, until it becomes two cargo vans, and then two trucks, and then one semi-truck," he said. "However we can keep upgrading it."