CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – During her decade working as an elementary school teacher and assistant principal, Amanda Stevens witnessed, firsthand, how the area’s annual Toy Lift benefited the community.

“I saw how Toy Lift positively impacted so many of our families and students,” Stevens, now the owner of Shenanigans Toy Store, told Cville Right Now. “It just really touches a lot of people’s lives in what can be a really hard time of year.”

Toy Lift accepts donations of holiday gifts – toys, games, books and sporting equipment – and distributes them to families in need. Working in conjunction with schools in Charlottesville, Albemarle County, Fluvanna County, Nelson County and Buckingham County, the organization creates a list of families that could use the assistance.

This year, there are 3,781 children on the list, representing about 1,800 families. That’s 550 more children than last December.

“Because of circumstances that are beyond families’ control, obviously it’s grown,” said longtime volunteer and Toy Lift President and organizer Dave Fafara. “Our goal is that, every Christmas, every kid that we have on our list wakes up Christmas morning with a smile on our face.”

Friday is drop-off day for the 36th annual Toy Lift. The drop-off tent will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Fashion Square Mall, in front of the former J.C. Penny’s location. The organization will also accept monetary donations that volunteers will use to shop for gifts for the children.

And not even a forecast of snow will stop volunteers from collecting holiday gifts.

“We’re better than the post office,” Fafara said. “We’ve been out there when it’s been zero degrees out, with four inches of ice on the ground. Santa doesn’t stop because of the weather and neither do we.”

The organization collects donations Friday, shops for additional gifts during the following week, and then delivers all the items to the schools. Families can pick up the gifts from the schools to be taken home, wrapped, and distributed.

There are also other drop-off locations, including Shenanigans, where people can drop off new, unwrapped gifts, or shop for the Toy Lift at the store, where they receive a 10% discount.

Stevens also said people who want to contribute but can’t get to Shenanigans or the Toy Lift drop-off, can shop online and use the code TOYLIFT2025 and the store will handle getting the gifts to the Toy Lift.

There is also a drop-off box at the Charlottesville Media Group office at 1140 Rose Hill Drive.

The Minutemen Motorcycle Club will pick up those donations Friday before they ride to Fashion Square to drop off their gift contributions.

This year, there is a particular need for gifts for children between the ages of 9-13.

Among 2025’s most requested items are Barbie dolls, Lego sets, board games, skateboards, and K-Pop Demon Hunters merchandise.