Northern New Mexico Toy Drive powered by EXIT Realty Advantage NM volunteers, from left, Hunter Eaton, Becca Jones, Meredith Horner, Janet Lovato, Jonathan Zambrano, Lance Eaton and Sarah Nelson gathered on Friday at the drive’s headquarters at 1615 Central Ave. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
BY KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Northern New Mexico Toy Drive, powered by EXIT Realty Advantage NM, is gearing up for another big year. With a goal of serving 10,000 children in 2025, the stakes are high—but organizers and volunteers say they’re ready for the challenge.
EXIT Associate Broker and toy drive President, Becca Jones, said the drive is already off to a strong start.
Toy drop-off boxes have arrived and are being distributed to participating businesses and organizations, and the Amazon wish list is live for those who prefer to shop online.
“It’s a big drive, we believe now the biggest in the state and this year we have 10,000 kids on our list,” Jones said.
One major reason for the expansion is EXIT’s new office in Albuquerque, opened by EXIT Qualifying Broker Lance Eaton and Associate Broker Sarah Nelson. With that growth came the decision to extend the toy drive into the Albuquerque area.
As a result, about 1,500 additional children have been added to the list, including 800 children from CYFD in Bernalillo County. It is important to EXIT and the Toy Drive that it contributes in significant ways in the communities that it serves.
With this new reach, the toy drive now stretches from Taos County to Bernalillo County, Cuba to the West and Las Vegas to the East.
To make room for the operation, EXIT Realty Advantage NM moved its real estate offices to the upper floor of its Los Alamos building at 1615 Central Ave., transforming the first floor into toy drive headquarters. Jones jokingly added that for 10 months of the year EXIT is a real estate company, and for the other two months, “it’s a full-time toy drive operation.”
Despite the momentum, there were early concerns—particularly around how a potential government shutdown might affect participation from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), one of the toy drive’s key partners.
“LANL is such a great partner. We would struggle to have the impact that we do without their support,” Jones said.
Through its employee giving campaign, LANL staff typically provide about one-third of the toys and financial donations for the drive.
“That partnership is critical to our mission. We are so grateful that they are able to participate again this year.” Jones added.
To help diversify support, EXIT and toy drive organizers have also sought corporate sponsorships from organizations such as Coca-Cola Bottling Co – Santa Fe, Anchorum, which is St. Vincent’s community foundation, and Presbyterian Hospital. In addition to collection boxes and online donations, EXIT will attend and host several events.
During the ABQ Live, Winter Wonderland event, held at the state fairgrounds, EXIT will host a static display for photo ops, and one evening will be dedicated specifically to the toy drive, with a portion of entry fees benefiting the effort.
Locally, EXIT will host Pictures with Santa on Nov. 22 and its annual Ugly Sweater Party on Dec. 5. More details about these events are available at https://exittoydrive.com/.
“Being good neighbors is important,” Jones said. “We are as local as it gets, supporting children’s organizations in all neighboring communities and Los Alamos.”
Local benefiting organizations include Los Alamos JJAB, Family Strengths Network, and CYFD.
Organizers emphasize that the mission has remained the same even as the toy drive grows: to reach children who may feel unseen or underserved during the holidays.
“It is important that kids know someone sees them, and cares about what they care about,” Jones said.
The team works hard to ensure that each child receives something meaningful. When wish lists are collected, partners are asked to include specific requests for each young person, asking organizations to try to emphasize a focus on healthy activities like art, sports, and music. Eaton explained that this level of detail helps prevent situations like a teenager receiving a toy meant for a much younger child.
“… It is important for us that when they tell us what they would like, we’re able to get that for them,” Jones said.
All toys must be new and unwrapped—a policy Jones says is non-negotiable.
“Sometimes it is the only new thing a kid will get all year,” she said.
Organizers stress that the toy drive simply wouldn’t be possible without the community. They are deeply grateful to all of their volunteers, and especially to those from Los Alamos National Laboratory and the City of Santa Fe, who show up year after year to pick up, sort, shop for, and deliver toys across Northern New Mexico.
“We are just so grateful for Los Alamos and the surrounding communities for participating,” Jones said. “We never take for granted that people are willing to help out.”
This is the sixth year EXIT has led the toy drive. Previously, the Santa Fe Fire Department organized the event. Becca and Tylerr Jones, who works for the Santa Fe Fire Department, have been involved since 2012.
When COVID hit in 2020, however, the department no longer had the manpower or logistical capacity to continue leading the effort, so EXIT stepped in to keep the tradition alive.
For more information about the Northern New Mexico Toy Drive and how to donate, visit https://exittoydrive.com/.