Supporting SV REALTORS Give Holiday Baskets
BY SABINA DANA PLASSE
In a small community, giving back goes far and wide, bringing people together and elevating holiday spirits. After a five-year hiatus, Stuff the Bus returned to the Valley to provide toys for the Sun Valley REALTORS Give Holiday Baskets, which help children and families celebrate the holidays. Spearheaded by Eye on Sun Valley’s Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Leisa Hollister, Stuff the Bus had been in the planning stages since August with SV REALTORS Give Executive Director Cathy Nikolaisons.
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 2, at the Hailey Albertsons and The Toy Store in Ketchum, buses were loaded with toys and items, which were unloaded at the Community Campus to fill Holiday Baskets. Volunteers from the Wood River High School Key Club, Wood River Catholic Confirmation group, Blaine County School District transportation department and Sun Valley Board of REALTORS® encouraged people who frequented both locations to buy items and stuff the bus. The buses were unloaded by a small army at the Community Campus.
“I brought Stuff the Bus to the Valley in 2009 through Locally Owned Radio, which was BOB FM and The Canyon and Sun Valley Board of Realtors® with Robin Christensen, and Kiwanis,” said Hollister. “Cathy and I have been dreaming about bringing Stuff the Bus back to this Valley and, finally, we could make it happen this year.”
When Nikolaisons became executive director of SV REALTORS Give, she became empowered to help the community through the programs at SV REALTORS Give, including planning Holiday Baskets, which takes nine to 10 months to bring to fruition. “You get to see the full circle from planning, then sign-ups to making the baskets to planning each year,” said Nikolaisons. “This community makes it happen, and it is amazing to see.”
The Holiday Baskets are given to those in need in the Wood River Valley and other Blaine County areas, a decades-long tradition providing hundreds of Blaine County families with warm clothing, food and toys.
During the pandemic, the baskets became gift cards, but in 2022, the toys and other items could be provided in person, and now Stuff the Bus. For 2023, close to 400 families, including almost 900 kids, will be recipients of Holiday Baskets—a jump from past years. However, the support of local businesses, donations, volunteers, the Sun Valley Board of Realtors® and Stuff the Bus made Holiday Baskets a success.
“It’s about the kids and the toys,” said Hollister. “We had two full buses, and it’s wonderful to have this back after a five-year hiatus.”
A great deal of shopping and partnering with Valley businesses happened for 2023, which included The Toy Store in Ketchum and Sun Valley offering 20% off for toys purchased for Stuff the Bus. Adding to the donations, Iconoclast Books and Chapter One assisted with a book drive to include young adult books. Tifny Lago of Little River Preschool Giving Trees placed trees at Atkinsons’ in Hailey, Pioneer Federal Credit Union and Campion Ice House, and Angel Trees were established at local banks, including D.L. Evans, Idaho First Bank, Zions, BMO and Mountain West Bank, contributing to the efforts. In addition, many Valley dentists generously donate toothbrushes and toothpaste.
“We had built up a supply of toys from the pandemic, which we exhausted last year,” said Nikolaisons. “This year, we had to have a major push, and with volunteers setting up locations at various banks and businesses, we could make our goal. We have an amazingly giving business community.”
In this year’s holiday basket, kids 12 and under receive gloves and a blanket because organizers from last year recognized that a number of them were homeless, and a blanket can offer a feeling of warmth, which they keep with them. In addition, the young children also receive toys. Teenagers will receive knit hats, flannel PJ pants and gift cards, and all will receive a book and a toothbrush.
“We specialize the bags for each family,” said Nikolaisons. “When they sign up before Thanksgiving, they tell us how many people are in their family, the children’s ages and toy preferences. We are shopping all year for the baskets and finish them when we have our final count, closer to distribution.”
Working with The Advocates, The Hunger Coalition, St. Luke’s and the Blaine County School District, Nikolaisons and staff have a very good understanding of the community landscape and who needs help.
“You may not see or know a person is in need or possibly homeless,” said Nikolaisons. “It is essential to understand our community and to be able to come together to take care of it. It’s very fulfilling to give back, and it’s what the holiday season is all about.”
To donate and learn more about Stuff the Bus for 2024 and Holiday Baskets, visit svrealtorsgive.org.