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On Dec. 14, Juan Gallardo, president of the WTAMU Hispanic Student Association, will be distributing toys to El Paso with other members of the organization. These toys will then go to “Realizando Sueños,” an organization that collects toys for children in Juarez, Mexico who have been impacted by the violence in the city.
“They [Realizando Sueños] had like 6,000 kids [last year], but they only collected 800 toys,” Gallardo said. “They sent over 5,000 kids back.”
He said the “Toys for Juarez” project started as a toy drop on campus and HSA expected to collect around 100 to 200 toys. However, after calling different companies around the community, the project got bigger.
“Our project got really big until we had an event not on campus, but that involved the whole community,” Gallardo said. “Our goal is now 5,000 toys because that is how many kids got sent back last year.”
Members of HSA will distribute the toys to El Paso and after that, the organization “Realizando Sueños” will take them to Juarez.
“We are committed 100 percent, so we will drive the toys,” Vice President of HSA Margarita Rocha said. “First, it will cost less money [than mailing the toys] so we can buy even more toys for them.”
Additionally, HSA raised close to $800 through the selling of bracelets. The money will go towards the expenses of the trip to El Paso as well as for purchasing more toys.
Freshman Nursing major Lluvia Vidaña, said the drive is important to her because she spent a lot of time in Juarez when she was a child.
“At five or six o’clock there is no one in the streets. You don’t see anybody or any kids playing outside,” she said. “It is very sad so I wanted to do something for the community.”
Jaqueline Reyes, a freshman Management major, was also raised in a Mexican city and said that prompted her to contribute to “Toys for Juarez.”
“We are not doing it because we want to get the HSA name out there, we are doing it because we actually want to help the kids,” she said.
