Still looking for holiday donation opportunities? Shivwits Toy Drive taking donations until Christmas

ST. GEORGE — The 28th Annual Shivwits Toy Drive has expanded this year and is still taking toy and financial donations through Christmas day.

Toys and gifts were dispersed at the Shivwits Reservation from the Shivwits Toy Drive, Shivwits Reservation, Utah, Dec. 18, 2022 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

The annual toy and fundraising drive will include children and members of other Utah tribes than the Southern Utah Paiute tribes of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, the Shivwits Band of Paiutes, the Cedar Band of Paiutes and Kanosh band of Paiute Indians.

Jim Sey, a co-founder of the drive, said the response has been impressive in an update he gave while at M&S Turquoise, where donations are being taken in downtown St. George.

The jewelry store owner has contributed much time and effort to this charitable event every year.

“We have had some really, really good responses to it,” Sey said. “It has been interesting in the last couple of years, we have had an excess of cash, and we don’t like to hold onto it, so we have extended it into a scholarship program.”

Sey said they had so many financial donations they have extra, which goes to tribal members who are attending or plan to further their education by attending colleges or specialized schools. The tribal council members of each tribe decide who needs the extra financial support for educational pursuits. The “mini-scholarships” are awarded and paid directly to the school.

It helps with purchasing books, single mothers who are attending school at the same time and more. Last year, Sey said they had a couple of requests for education assistance that they could not fill. He wants to change that this year.

“It has turned into where some people just continue to donate,” Sey said. “They know it is going to college scholarships.”

Sey also said the National Daughters of the American Revolution Color Country Chapter collected many toys and coordinated and ran the Wreaths Across America celebrations in Tonaquint, St. George and Shivwits cemeteries. The Happy Factory and other businesses donated.

Besides money and toys, they have also been using the money to ensure every family has food for Christmas dinner. Twenty-five hams and toys recently were distributed to a community near Mexican Hat, as well as some toys.

Sey was happy to announce the expansion of the charitable fundraiser this year, as they included a couple of other groups and tribes.

Toy donations collected for the Shivwits Toy Drive at M&S Turquoise, St. George, Utah, Dec. 15, 2022 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

The Mexican Hat area is near Monument Valley within the four corners on the Navajo Nation Reservation. The group they helped is in a community where grandparents raise their grandchildren.

They are as well helping out some families within the Kaibab Band of Paiutes.

“We are not big,” Sey said. “The money is all spent on this stuff and if there are expenses, we pay out of our pocket.”

They have already sent gifts to each band or tribe for their community Christmas parties.

“As for our needs, we are really coming along,” said Sey. “We think we will have everything by Christmas.”

Conserve Southwest Utah helped by providing guided hikes and cultural performances as part of the effort to raise funds.

Shivwits tribal member Glenn Rogers led the guided hikes, which were for the Tempi’po’op Trail to the petroglyphs near the Anasazi Trailhead in Ivins. And Conserve Southwest Utah offered concerts and performances sponsored that included powwow dancing, singing and drumming by the youth and members of the tribal bands, including the youth of the Cedar Band of Paiutes.

These events included a recommended donation of $25.

Conserve Southwest Utah helped raise funds for the Shivwits Toy Drive by hosting a hike led by Shivwits Tribal Member Glenn Rogers, St. George, Utah, Dec. 3, 2022 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

“We were able to raise over $1,200 and some toy donations for the cause,” Public Lands Program Director Isabel Adler said.

The Conserve Southwest Utah funds raised are a small part of the total amount, still to be calculated after this week.

Sey expressed gratitude to those who gave their time and efforts to help brighten the holidays for others. He said they still take toy donations and financial donations for the scholarships until Christmas day. Donors can drop off toys or financial donations at M&S Turquoise before Christmas, at 53 E. St. George Blvd.

Credit card donations can be made by calling 435-628-0393 or via  Venmo: @MS Turquoise.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!