All Smiles at the Sleigh Stop Toy Giveaway in Southeast Austin's Dove Springs

Updated: Dec 31, 2020

It was a joyous season of toy giving for thousands of children, teens, and parents living in the community of southeast Austin's Dove Springs. Residents, church members, business professionals, and volunteers joined together to donate toys that put smiles on 1,000 children and teens served at River City Youth Foundation's Sleigh Stop event, an in-person, drive by version of its annual Merry Memories toy giveaway.

Due to the pandemic, this year the toy giveaway was held over four consecutive days that culminated with a grand experience on Saturday, December 19. All families were pre-registered and obtained a drive-by appointment. For the occasion, RCYF also lit up its nearly three-acre campus with 20,000 holiday lights and dozens of giant inflatables which served as cheerful photo opportunities for the families.

Sleigh Stop activities also included a socially distanced Santa, event DJ, special performances by local artists, food distributions, bike raffles, treat bags, and a coat raffle. The youth winners of the Sleigh Stop's art and writing contests also received extra toys and bikes.

River City Youth Foundation sends a BIG THANK YOU to all of its individual and corporate supporters, for whom this year's toy giveaway would not have happened. They include Dell Latino Connect, which organized a massive toy drive that yielded hundreds of toys for the event. Major event sponsors were HEB, Hungry for God Home, Page Southerland Page, ABC Bank, Abe Hernandez, and Austin Voices for Education. Many other organizations contributed including the Four Points Young Men's Service League, LCRA, Lowe's, Teri Road Baptist Church, Optimist Club of Austin, Amigos en Azul, Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Austin Fire Department. We are grateful to you all.