Alberta Health Services has launched a new campaign this holiday season that gives people who have recently received an AHS parking ticket a chance to donate a new toy rather than paying the fine.

"In keeping with the spirit of the holiday season, we felt this is a good way to give back and make some of our patients' time in hospital a little brighter," Nick Ternovatsky, director parking, AHS parking services, said Monday in a news release.

Anyone who received an AHS parking ticket at an Edmonton or Calgary site between Nov. 1 and Dec. 10 can take a new unwrapped toy and the ticket to any AHS parking office.

AHS parking staff will take the donation and mark the ticket as paid. Toys should be of similar value to the amount of the parking ticket.

The toys collected in Edmonton will be donated to patients at the Stollery Children's Hospital. In Calgary they will be donated to patients at the Alberta Children's Hospital. Both facilities care for children up to 17 years of age.

The campaign runs until Dec. 21.

Recommended donations include books, art supplies, science kits, electronics and headphones, Lego sets, portable DVD players, rattles, baby toys, journals, activity books, crayons and colouring books, and gift cards for grocery stores and restaurants that families could use.