NNM Toy Drive Provides Tons Of Gifts To Lift Kids’ Spirits

Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on December 15, 2022
- 9:23 am

The EXIT Realty Advantage NM office in Los Alamos is filled with toys waiting to be distributed to children throughout the area this holiday season. The drive continues through Dec. 23. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com

Los Alamos Fire Cadets load up Program Director Jeanette Ortiz of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren’ vehicle with toys for the trip to Española. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com

From left, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Program Director Jeanette Ortiz, Rollin Jones and EXIT Associate Broker Becca Jones. Photo by Bonnie Gordon/ladailypost.com

By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com

It’s down to the wire for the Northern New Mexico Toy Drive, spearheaded by EXIT Realty Advantage NM in Los Alamos. As of Dec. 12, more than 2,318 new toys had been collected and purchased, EXIT Realty Associate Broker Becca Jones said.

Volunteers and sponsoring organizations are busy delivering them to approximately 20 nonprofits serving children all around northern New Mexico.

Dec. 14, a team from EXIT were out shopping for 237 more gifts. More than 1,000 children will have a brighter Christmas this year because of the toy drive.

Monday, fire cadets loaded big bags of toys into the vehicle of Program Director Jeanette Ortiz of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren in Española.

“I’m blown away,” Ortiz said. “You have no idea what this will mean to our families.”

The number of grandparents raising grandchildren has skyrocketed in the area since COVID, Ortiz said. EXIT has been running the drive for the past three years. Before that, it was run by the Santa Fe Fire Department, which began the effort 13 years ago. It grows larger every year, Jones said.

“I was one of the starters of the program,” said Santa Fe firefighter Rollin Jones (partner of Becca Jones). “The fire department got overwhelmed. We’re so pleased with the great job EXIT has done.”

A wide array of businesses, organizations and government entities have stepped up with monetary contributions, serving as drop-off stations providing volunteers. The largest is Los Alamos National Laboratory.

According to LANL Community Relations Specialist Kayla Norris, employees contributed $23,935 and and more than 200 gifts were collected. Forty-one LANL employees volunteered their time picking up, sorting and delivering the toys and gifts, including driving to more remote locations.

In the past, most people have donated toys for young children and toddlers, but fewer gifts have been donated for ages of 10 and 18, which makes up the largest number of children served, Rollin said. He urges those donating gifts to remember the older kids. The team at EXIT also shops for presents for older kids and uses gift cards as presents for those over 10.

Rollin said the drive also will provide toys to hundreds of children who were affected by the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire.

It’s not too late to be part of the Toy Drive. EXIT continues to take donations of new, unwrapped toys at their office at 1615 Central Ave. Suite 100 in Los Alamos through Dec. 23. Business hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monetary contributions are very welcome at any time. Leftover gifts and funds will jumpstart next year’s drive, Becca said. Go to https://exittoydrive.com/ to learn more about the Toy Drive.