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Toys Fore Kids: Sharing the gift of Christmas
Join the mission to spread joy this Christmas! Discover how a Houston family's dream turned into a heartwarming tradition, bringing smiles to children in hospitals and foster homes.
HOUSTON - What started with one wagon of Christmas presents for patients at Texas Children's Hospital has grown into a statewide effort to bring holiday joy to hospitalized children and foster youth.
Now, the charity is preparing for its annual golf tournament and star-studded Friendsgiving celebration to help continue its mission.
Bringing Christmas joy to children across Texas
The backstory:
Dr. Shawn Taher and Heather Nguyen established Toys Fore Kids after praying for children of their own and wanting to pay their blessings forward.
What started with one wagon visiting patients on Christmas Eve at Texas Children's Hospital has grown into a statewide effort that fills moving trucks with presents for pediatric patients and children living at Kids Harbor, a residential home for children removed from neglectful or abusive environments, as well as a foster home in Dallas and hospitals in Beaumont and Corpus Christi.
Timeline:
The organization began in 2008 with that first bedside drop-off and returns each winter.
Its premier fundraiser of the year, the annual golf tournament and star-studded Friendsgiving celebration, takes place Nov. 12 at Houston Oaks Country Club and Retreat.
The inspiration behind the mission
What they're saying:
"It was hard for us to have children, so to me, it is very disheartening to see kids who are going through such misfortune, and we just want to bring a little happiness and love during the Christmas season," says Dr. Shawn Taher.
"We could not stop after that because we saw the joy in the families, not just the children, but the parents who were spending that Christmas Eve in the hospitals, and we knew, even though our act was so little, the impact was so huge," says Heather Nguyen.
"I think it is just an extension of our family now, getting to share in that joy, getting to see the smiling faces of kids that are just going through a lot, and that just fills our hearts because that is the gift and the meaning of Christmas," says Nguyen.
"I have had kids cry because they were so happy, and I have had kids run in and get on the phone and call whoever they are able to call on the call list to tell them what happened that day," says Sharon Beard, Kids Harbor manager.
Why you should care:
Children facing serious medical battles or healing from abuse often feel forgotten during the holidays.
Volunteers match exact wish lists written by foster youth, showing them the community values and remembers them during difficult life transitions.
Annual golf tournament and Friendsgiving celebration
What's next:
The upcoming benefit pairs daylong golfing with an evening concert co-hosted by FOX 26 anchor Melissa Wilson and Houston Astros legend Geoff Blum.
The musical lineup includes When in Rome, Christopher Anton, country artist Chris Cagle and The Frontmen.
The Frontmen is a country music supergroup made up of three iconic 1990s lead vocalists: Richie McDonald (formerly of Lonestar), Larry Stewart (of Restless Heart) and Tim Rushlow (formerly of Little Texas).
Together, the trio has racked up more than 30 No. 1 hits and sold upwards of 30 million records, blending their distinctive voices on massive classics like "Amazed," "The Bluest Eyes in Texas" and "God Blessed Texas."
Today, they tour together, delivering powerhouse live shows packed with decades of country anthems as well as new original music.
What you can do:
Community members can support the mission by attending either the golf tournament or the evening gala, or by contributing directly toward toys on children's personalized holiday wish lists.
The event is Thursday, Nov. 12, at Houston Oaks Country Club and Retreat.
Dig deeper:
For registration information or donation opportunities, click here.
The Source: FOX 26's Anchor/Medical Reporter Melissa Wilson interviewed Dr. Shawn Taher, Heather Nguyen, and Sharon Beard to gather information for this story.