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12th Street Heritage hosts annual toy drive, benefiting 500 children

Sleazy
Posted at 9:23 AM, Nov 23, 2022
and last updated 2022-11-23 11:14:01-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For its 30th season, 12th Street Heritage Development Corporation will be hosting its annual Santa Wonderland Toy Giveaway.

Celebrities usually will team up with the organization for the holiday event.

This year, the organization is partnering with rapper, Sleazy.

Earlier this month, Sleazy who donated $5,000 to the organization, went shopping with children at a Kansas City Walmart.

"To see somebody so excited to give back and not just coming in and leaving, it was a really humbling experience," 12th Street Heritage Director of Operations, Alexis Williams said. "No matter how big the artist is, to see them want to connect with their community on a personal level, it felt really good for toys."

Walmart donated $4,000 for the organization's event.

Brandy Patterson, who benefited from the organization's holiday event during the pandemic, now works as the property manager for 12th Street Heritage. She says this event is a game changer for families getting ready for the holiday season.

"If you're a single mother, two-parent household...I'm a mother of four and children are expensive," Patterson said. "They're even more expensive now. so having this organization here and doing this for us is very helpful because we get to get some toys for our children and say 'Santa loves you too.'"

Tonight, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the corner of 12th and Brooklyn, children two to 15 years-old can come enjoy some music and pick out a toy, at no charge. No registration is required. There will be performances by Sleazy, DWalk, DJ Street King, Baby Rik and Miya Guggs.