Saturday is the big day for Jacksonville-area Christmas toy giveaways, excited children

The two largest holiday toy giveaways for disadvantaged children in Northeast Florida — one in Jacksonville, the other in Clay County — will be on the same day this year.

Both are still accepting monetary and toy donations for their respective events, which will be Saturday, Dec. 17.

The Children’s Christmas Party of Jacksonville will return to in-person status this year, after two years of distributing toys and other gifts to children through nonprofits because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the 41st annual J.P. Hall Children's Charities Christmas Party will maintain the drive-thru method it used during the pandemic.

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Diane Halverson is executive director of the Jacksonville event, which was founded by local philanthropists Travis and Margaret Storey 24 years ago. The pandemic-impacted years were "certainly different," she said. Toys were given to children in afterschool programs run by the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Florida and Communities in Schools.

"We were still able to accomplish our mission so we are very thankful," she said. "The downside was not being able to physically hand the kids their toys and hear their thank yous and see their smiles."

Another downside, she said, was that parents whose children were not served by those two nonprofits "had nowhere else to turn to get toys for their kids for two straight Christmases during the pandemic."

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This year the event returns to the Prime Osborn Convention Center. As many as 5,000 children from needy Duval families will be served, Halverson said.

"We are very excited to be back to giving toys directly to the kids. Our whole community is excited," she said. "We have more new sponsors than any of our 24 years except for our very first year. It is almost like we were all deprived of face-to-face contact with the families for such a long time that people are extra willing to give up money, time and effort to go back to being in that building for three hours to help each other."

Halverson said she gets daily calls and emails from struggling families asking about the party. She tries to respond the same day because often the phone number or email address will not be operational the next day.

"It seems people are living day to day and trying to figure out how to afford the basics, like groceries and medical supplies, let alone paying for a phone or internet," she said. "Other years, in December at the department stores, the toy department is impassable with all the parents shopping for Christmas toys. Not so this year. That tells you something. We can’t keep going on our merry way without doing something about the fact that many families can’t afford Christmas gifts."

COVID-19 will be in the background, with masks encouraged, but not required. "We are still concerned about safety, and we hope anyone not feeling well will stay home or wear a mask," Halverson said.

Virginia Hall, granddaughter of longtime Clay County Sheriff J.P. Hall Sr. who the charity is named after, runs the nonprofit that includes the party and a college scholarship program. This year's event will serve about 1,500 children at the Clay County Fairgrounds.

It will again be a drive-thru affair as a precaution and because the main fairgrounds building that formerly housed the event is in use. Also, allowing families to wait in their vehicles makes it more comfortable for parents and grandparents, Hall said.

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So Hall and volunteers will continue to hand gifts to children through car windows. They still get to see their excited faces and smiles.

"We do miss the personal touch," she said. "We still get to interact, it's just different. … We still get the experience."

Like Halverson, Hall is constantly getting calls and emails from people seeking gifts for their children or grandchildren. Many are not in a "good economic situation," she said, in part because housing costs have "risen dramatically."

"My phone has been ringing off the hook," she said. "Lots of people are in need."

The event was created by Hall's father, businessman J.P. Hall Jr., as part of the Children’s Charities nonprofit he founded to honor his father who was known for his giving and goodwill. Virginia Hall began volunteering at the event as a child and now involves her two grown sons.

bcravey@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4109

THE CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PARTY OF JACKSONVILLE

The event is 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 17, at the Prime Osborn Convention Center, 1000 Water St., in downtown Jacksonville. Children — newborns to age 12 — must be present to receive gifts. Pre-registration, identification or financial forms are not necessary; neither is camping overnight to wait in line. Each child will get several tickets to choose their own toys and have a random chance to win a gift in the Wheels Depot, which has bikes, scooters, riding toys and wagons. For more information go to ccpoj.org, email christmaspartyofjax@comcast.net or call (904) 350-1616 and leave a voicemail. Make monetary donations online at ccpoj.org/how-you-can-help or send to P.O. Box 5338, Jacksonville 32247-5338. Donate toys at the Convention Center Door 6 by main parking lot at the volunteer desk anytime Wednesday, Dec. 14, or Thursday, Dec. 15.

JP HALL CHILDREN'S CHARITIES CHRISTMAS PARTY

The event is 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 17,  at the Clay County Fairgrounds, 2497 Florida 16, west of Green Cove Springs. Newborns through age 14 will be served: No one will be allowed out of their vehicles and children must be in the vehicle to receive gifts. Overnight stays in the fairgrounds parking lot will be banned. Monetary donations may be made online at jphallcharities.com and toys may be donated at multiple drop-off locations listed on facebook.com/jphallchildrenscharities. Volunteers are needed to help set up from 9 a.m. to noon Friday and for the event 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 2 Christmas giveaways in Jacksonville area bringing joy to children