Care 'N Share Toy Drive Continues Legacy of Comfort and Compassion
"Stuffed with love, ready to hug, and delivered with heart."
It began in 2009 with a wooden toy collection bin and just 150 donated stuffed animals at the San Diego County Fair. Today, the “Care 'N Share Toy Drive” has blossomed into one of the region's most heartwarming traditions.
Thanks to the vision and dedication of Rotarian Nancy Stoke, the Care 'N Share Toy Drive has distributed more than 122,000 stuffed animals to children facing illness, hardship, and other difficult circumstances throughout the San Diego–Tijuana region.
This year marked a new chapter for the beloved program as Nancy officially passed the torch to the Foundation for the Children of the Californias (FCC), which proudly assumed leadership of the initiative in partnership with the San Diego County Fair.
The community responded with overwhelming generosity.
Throughout the Fair, volunteers staffed donation booths near the exit gates, inviting guests to donate stuffed animals they had won on rides and games. Their enthusiasm—and the kindness of Fair visitors—resulted in an incredible 4,211 stuffed animals collected during this year's drive.
The effort was made possible by an outstanding team of volunteers from Kiwanis, the Rotary Club of Chula Vista Eastlake, and Rotarians from across Rotary District 5340, all working together to transform carnival prizes into gifts of comfort for children who need them most.
Those thousands of plush companions are already making their way into the hands of children across our region. Many will comfort young patients receiving care at Hospital Infantil de las Californias in Tijuana, while others will brighten the lives of hospitalized children, underserved families, and military families on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Each stuffed animal represents a simple but powerful reminder that someone cares.
Our Rotary expresses heartfelt gratitude to Nancy for her remarkable leadership and enduring legacy, to every volunteer who gave their time, and to the thousands of Fair guests whose generosity continues to bring hope, comfort, and countless smiles to children throughout our binational community.