Golf clubs, auction paddles and a country music stage will come together at Houston Oaks on Nov. 12, as the charity Toys Fore Kids holds its annual Friendsgiving fundraiser to pay for holiday gifts that reach hospitalized children and kids in foster care across Texas.
According to Toys Fore Kids, the celebration blends a daylong golf tournament with an evening auction dinner, a live auction and a country music concert, all at Houston Oaks Country Club and Retreat. The group's website frames it simply: supporters can golf, show up for dinner and music, sponsor the event, or just donate directly to help cover the cost of gifts for kids facing hospital stays or living outside their homes during the holidays.
The nonprofit traces its roots to 2008, when it started as a single wagon of Christmas presents delivered to patients at Texas Children's Hospital, according to the seed reporting from FOX 26 Houston. It was founded by Dr. Shawn Taher and Heather Nguyen, who started the effort after experiencing fertility struggles and wanting, in their words, to pay their blessings forward, the station reports. What began with one wagonload has since grown into a statewide operation that now delivers customized presents by moving truck.
From One Wagon to a Statewide Delivery Route
Toys Fore Kids now serves pediatric patients and children at Kids Harbor, a residential home for children removed from neglectful or abusive environments, as well as children at a separate foster home in Dallas and hospitals in Beaumont and Corpus Christi, per the FOX 26 account. Each winter the charity returns to deliver gifts, and it visits Texas Children's Hospital patients specifically on Christmas Eve, the station notes. Volunteers work to match foster youth with items from their own written wish lists rather than handing out generic presents.
Sharon Beard, the Kids Harbor manager, told FOX 26 that the reaction from children can be overwhelming — some cry with happiness or immediately call someone to share what happened. Dr. Taher said the charity's goal is to bring happiness and love to children facing misfortune during Christmas, while Nguyen said watching the joy on children's and families' faces is what has kept the effort going year after year. FOX 26 anchor Melissa Wilson interviewed Taher, Nguyen and Beard for the station's report, noting that children facing serious medical battles or recovering from abuse can feel forgotten during the holidays.
Golf Fees, a Concert Lineup and Ways to Give
Registration details for the Nov. 12 event are handled through the Body Balance Foundation, which lists a $3,000 package covering a four-player golf team plus dinner for four; additional dinner-only guests can attend for $250 per person. The evening features a live concert with Chris Cagle & Band, according to the Body Balance Foundation listing. FOX 26's reporting adds that the broader musical lineup includes When in Rome, Christopher Anton, Chris Cagle and The Frontmen — a trio made up of Richie McDonald, formerly of Lonestar, Larry Stewart of Restless Heart, and Tim Rushlow, formerly of Little Texas, who together have notched more than 30 No. 1 hits and sold upwards of 30 million records performing country anthems alongside new original music. FOX 26's Melissa Wilson and former MLB infielder Geoff Blum are set to co-host the evening concert, per the station's account.
Community members who want to help don't have to show up at Houston Oaks at all. Besides attending the golf tournament or evening gala, FOX 26 reports people can contribute directly toward toys on children's personalized holiday wish lists, a route that mirrors how volunteers already match foster youth with gifts they've specifically asked for.
What Texas Children's Hospital Asks of Holiday Donors
Separate from the Toys Fore Kids event, Texas Children's Hospital has its own rules for anyone hoping to donate toys this season. The hospital's donation guidelines state that all items must be new and in their original packaging, and donors are asked not to gift-wrap anything before dropping it off. Holiday items should arrive at least a week ahead of time so staff have adequate time to share them with patients, and the hospital says infant and adolescent items are the most needed right now.
Texas Children's does not allow personal delivery of gifts straight to patients and does not accept food or candy; dietary restrictions vary among kids in care. Anyone looking to donate is asked to contact the hospital's Volunteer Services office at (832) 824-2257 or by email at [email protected] to arrange a drop-off, according to the hospital's published guidance.
That kind of grassroots giving showed up elsewhere in Houston in 2020 as well. ABC13 Houston reported that Armen Williams and his wife organized their own toy drive for children staying at Texas Children's Hospital after their son, Asher, spent 14 days hospitalized across three separate admissions in roughly a month and a half. When hospital staff told the couple more toys were needed, Williams' wife created an Amazon Wishlist, and the family ultimately collected toys and activities meant to help staff connect with more kids, Williams told the outlet.
