The Grinchmas toy drive is an annual event that brings joy and hope to children and families during the holiday season. This year, it will take place on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Kiss & Makeup Full Service Studio (38011 LA 621, Gonzales). The event aims to collect new, unwrapped toys to be donated to Brennan’s Blessings, a southwest Louisiana nonprofit.

Salon Owner's Inspiring Journey

Salon owner SarahBess Brown has been organizing this seasonal event for four years. Initially, the donations benefited Toys for Tots. However, after her cousin's battle with cancer and passing away, she decided to switch to a more local charity that her cousin was involved with - Brennan’s Blessings. This charity was created in honor of Brennan Daigle, who passed away in 2011 after battling rhabdomyosarcoma. It helps families of children with cancer. Brown and other volunteers load up the toys, donations, and bikes and bring them to the organization using a rental truck.

Brown started the Grinchmas event to inspire happiness around the holidays, especially for those facing added stress. She said, "And now that we’re doing something for kids with cancer, it really helps families and kids that are already dealing with something that’s just unimaginable on a daily basis. It brings even more hope and just a glimmer of light into a situation that a lot of people can’t even fathom."

Growing Donation Success

Each year, the Grinchmas event has been able to bring in more toy donations. Last year, they had 12 overfilled, tall boxes full of toys. This year, the event will have a raffle for the first time. All proceeds from the raffle will go to Brennan’s Blessings. For a ticket, entrants can enter the running for a 13th Gate Escape game (up to 8 players), a prize valued at 1.47. Tickets can be purchased ahead of time or during the event. The drawing will be held at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 7, and the winner does not have to be present to win.

Those who bring in a new toy for donation can take a photo with the Grinch for free and leave with a photo in hand. The Grinch interacts with all the guests, along with a "Santa princess" who is also a local author. Other characters like some Who’s will also be present this year, making it a fun and enjoyable day for children and adults.

Ways to Contribute

For those who can't attend the event or wish to contribute in other ways, there are plenty of options. They can send toys to the salon via Amazon, contribute cash, or become a sponsor. Brown said the community always comes through for this event.

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