By Corinne Murdock |

Christmas cheer was shared in Glendale with over 5,000 children and their families last weekend, as part of an annual event to give gifts to those in need.

Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers and Councilman Ian Hugh helped host the “Toy Joy” event, arranged by the nonprofits Alpha Nation and their partner AZ Goods at the Glendale Civic Center. The event took place over the course of four hours last Sunday.

Weiers expressed gratitude for the two organizations’ efforts in his weekly newsletter.

“The volunteers from Alpha Nation are truly remarkable. The motto of Glendale is ‘improving the lives of the people we serve every day,’” said Weiers. “The members of Alpha Nation and their partner organization, AZ Goods, embodied that principle.”

Goodwill was abundant this year: children were able to choose from tens of thousands of toys.

Among the Christmas toys were hundreds of bikes, board games, dolls, and the ever-popular Baby Yoda toy. In addition to the gifts, children were entertained with festivities like face painting and games.

The event almost didn’t happen this year; it was up to Glendale leadership to help save Christmas. The previous location used for the festivities was unavailable. The city stepped up by securing a promotional spot, engaging in mass advertising, and securing a venue for the event.

In a promotional video, Alpha Nation CEO Veronica Barraza said that their aim is to bring joy to the children of Glendale.

“It feels good to do it; it’s bringing back happy faces to those kids that really need it,” said Barraza.

Also present were Glendale’s fire and police departments. Those first responders assisted in ensuring a healthy and safe event occurred. Additionally, the Arizona Rangers provided oversight of the toy delivery for distribution. 

Weiers said that the Christmas festivity was just one manifestation of his duty to improve the lives of his constituents, especially in the present economic time.

“We all know families that are struggling with daily life right now. We know the expectations of children during the holiday season are high, making the stress level on parents and guardians even higher,” said Weiers. “Because I have dedicated my life to improving the lives of the people I serve, it only seemed natural to accept the challenge of making this event happen.”

The mayor encouraged Glendale residents and fellow Arizonans to get involved in the good doings of Alpha Nation and AZ Goods.

“The public private partnership we developed with AZ Goods and their nonprofit partner, Alpha Nation, through this event changed lives and I encourage each and every one of you to learn more about these organizations,” said Weiers. “I cannot thank everyone who was involved in this event enough. Each and every one of you exemplified the reason for the season. Thank you.”

AZ Goods was established in 2020 through a partnership between Sunshine Acres Children’s Home in Mesa and the national nonprofit organization Good360. AZ Goods distributes donated goods currently to over 100 nonprofits. 

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.