FORT CAVAZOS, Texas — New books, with crisp, unread pages sit on display on the far-left wall of a large room. A row of shiny bicycles ranging in color, size and design sit in a neat row along the wall at the right of the entrance. The body of the room holds a maze of shelves brimming with all the toys a child could imagine. Stacks of board games, Barbie dolls sitting in their plastic cases, stuffed dolls, car toys, Nerf guns and a myriad of other items are displayed, waiting for a parent to pick them out to be placed under decorated Christmas trees until they are revealed by the ripping of wrapping paper to a joyous, youthful face.
Over 2,000 children will benefit from the Toy Vault at Santa’s Workshop at The Great Place this holiday season. The nonprofit organization held its annual ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 20 at its headquarters, with Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, commanding general of Fort Cavazos and III Armored Corps, as the guest speaker.
“Over the past several years, military spouses and volunteers have donated their time, money and unique talents to make something incredible happen here,” Admiral said in his remarks. “The work that you do during the holiday season here at Santa’s Workshop is emblematic of the support of Fort Cavazos and the Central Texas communities. It’s gestures like this that help the Soldiers of this installation know that their family will be in good hands even when they are called to serve far from home.”
The organization opens every year for three weeks, and tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of toys are given to hundreds of families here at Fort Cavazos, Admiral said. Known as Shop Days, accepted applicants will receive a 20-minute appointment to shop in the Toy Vault for toys, books and games for their children. Volunteers, or “elves,” are available to help shoppers through the process and load items.
Parents can pick one stocking stuffer, one “red” toy valued between $10 and $20, one “green” toy valued between $20 and $40, a family board game and a book for the children, said Kismet Canady, president of Santa’s Workshop at The Great Place.
Last year, Santa’s Workshop delivered $140,000 worth of toys to 1,800 children, Admiral said. The organization’s Christmas in July event also had over 1,000 people in attendance.
In order to fund the organization, donations are received year-round, Canady said. The organization receives both monetary donations and physical donations of brand new toys.
Units across Fort Cavazos host ruck marches where Soldiers march several miles to deliver the toys themselves to the nonprofit’s headquarters. One unit donated over 2,500 toys, Canady said, filling three armored truckload’s worth.
“Things like that make our job easier,” Canady expressed. “That way we don’t have to go out and fundraise and do all this. They bring us what we need so we can focus on getting the families applied, and as many as we can, to get these toys out to them.”
One of the biggest donors of Santa’s Workshop is the Reindeer Express, which was founded after the shooting that occurred on the installation Nov. 5, 2009.
“We said, ‘We have to do something about this,’” said Sergio Gonzalez, one of the cofounders of Reindeer Express. “We have to honor those folks that day that tragically lost their lives, some that were wounded, some that will always have that wound if they didn’t pass on that day. So we were adamant about doing something.”
The organization was Santa’s Workshop’s largest donor this year, donating $60,000. Since the inception of Reindeer Express in 2009, they have donated a quarter of a million dollars, Canady said. They also volunteer with the organization as well.
“We couldn’t do this without (donors),” Canady said. “They are the heart and soul of nonprofits like us because they feel just as passionate about what we do as us, and so we do our best to just show how grateful we are to our donors and sponsors because we would not be here without them.”
During the ceremony, Santa’s Workshop recognized Reindeer Express for their donations with an award, which Gonzalez accepted on behalf of the organization.
“Every once in a while in life, there’s something that exists, something comes around that’s just the right things, and here we are,” Gonzalez said.
Santa’s Workshop also honored its own Santa Claus, Dave Gauvey, who has volunteered with Santa’s Workshop for 20 years, with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
“For two decades, Santa Dave has brought the spirit of Christmas to life, sharing laughter and joy with countless families,” Canady said. “To recognize his unwavering dedication, we are proud to present him with a special gift. Thank you for everything you have done for us. You truly embody the magic of the season.”
Gauvey remarked on his time with the nonprofit, saying he has enjoyed it.
“It has been the best 20 years I’ve spent anywhere, and, believe me, I spent a lot of (time at) different places,” he said. “I was one of those people that I thought, ‘There’s a place for me someplace,’ and I found it. This is my place, folks.”
Santa’s Workshop at The Great Place’s Shop Days begin Monday and will run through Dec. 10. To donate, email president@santasworkshopgp.org. To volunteer, email volunteer@santasworkshopgp.org. For further information, visit santasworkshopgp.org.
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