The San Diego County Fair Toy Drive That Has Given More Than 122000 Reasons to Smile

The Fairgrounds Where Joy Meets Generosity

It begins with laughter. The kind that drifts through the hot summer air at the San Diego County Fair, where the smell of kettle corn and the ring of carnival bells erase the distinction between yesterday and today. But beneath the cacophony of game stalls and carousel music is something softer and deeper. It is the quiet murmur of giving. And this year, it was made by 4,349 stuffed animals given softly into the arms of children who needed them most.

The Care 'n Share Toy Drive, a moving initiative of the Torrey Pines Rotary Club in partnership with the Fair, has been a tradition of quiet philanthropy. Over 122,000 toys that have been won at the fair and donated since the program started in 2009 have been distributed to children on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

A Little Boy with a Big Heart

Ask any of the people who were there and they'll say it was as if the air was filled with magic. A little boy, not much more than five, walked up to the box with his grandparents. His arms were full of puffy, fuzzy fair prizes, all of them won the old-fashioned way: by chance and with a whole lot of laughter. Having inventoried the items in the contribution box, he made a whispered announcement.

"I want to give."

And he did. The stuffed animals were added to the box one at a time. When his arms were empty, he accepted Grandma's prizes. Then Grandpa's. Spectators cheered and clapped with each drop. The joy was contagious.

Nancy Stoke, one of the founders of the program, was beside him with tears running down her face. "It was the third day they'd come to the Fair," she recalled. "And each day, he'd keep one for himself and distribute the others." She smiled as she remembered the scene. "The night air was electric with joy at the goodness of this little boy. We were all getting goosebumps."

From Booths to Group Homes

The journey of a toy from reward to mission is one of purpose. Every collection box that stands at the Fairgrounds is a portal of promise. Once gathered in, the toys are sorted, disinfected, and distributed to children by worthy partner agencies. Some of these are the San Diego Armed Services YMCA, STEP (Support the Enlisted Project), Voices for Children, Like Our Own group homes, and hospitals throughout the region including Tijuana's Children's Hospital.

In 2025, the largest single delivery was to the Foundation for the Children of the Californias with 1,631 cuddly companions now providing comfort to young, healing patients. Another 1,075 animals found their way into the arms of children helped by the Armed Services YMCA. For these children, many of whom are faced with instability, illness, or separation from loved ones, a cuddly toy is more than an object. It is a friend. A reminder that they are not forgotten.

A Tradition of Giving that Grows Stronger with Each Passing Year

The simplicity of the Care 'n Share Toy Drive is its beauty. Win a toy. Donate it. Transform a life.

Since 2009, the program has operated behind the scenes to make the concept of fair prizes a movement of compassion. More families are being added each year. More children are enjoying the experience of giving. More lives are being touched well beyond the Fair's exit doors.

This year's numbers have a tale to tell

300 toys to Camp Stevens Julian

317 to Eastlake Chula Vista Rotary Club sponsored projects

120 to the La Jolla Golden Triangle Rotary Club

50 to Voices for Children

20 to adolescents who live in group homes

And there are some more to follow.

Kindness as a Family Tradition

To some families, donating to the Toy Drive is a holiday tradition. A gentle way to teach the younger generation that joy multiplied is joy shared. In a world where values are lost in the noise, the Fair offers something lasting. A way to pay tribute to kindness in the moment.

This cross-generational kindness of heart, of grandparents backing a young boy's choice to forgo his awards, is what makes the Toy Drive more than an act of charity. It is a legacy project. A moment-in-time translated into a tradition.

How to Get Involved Beyond the Fair

While the Fair itself is only a few weeks long each summer, comfort and kindness are not seasonal. New or gently used stuffed animals are accepted year-round by the Care 'n Share Toy Drive. Online appointments can be made by visiting the program's website at carensharetoydrive.com.

Volunteers are always welcome. So too are corporate sponsorships and school partnerships. There is space for anyone who believes no child should be deprived of the simple joy of a teddy bear to hug.

A Constant Reminder of What Really Counts

It's easy to overlook small miracles in a world that demands great headlines. It's now and then that a headline reminds us that luxury is not in what we hold on to, but in what we choose to let go of. At San Diego's County Fair this year, 4,349 children received something extra along with toys. They received proof that somebody somewhere in the world somebody they don't know cared that they are safe, loved, and noticed. And it only took one little boy, some selfless grandparents, and a crowd of people who were willing to applaud as stuffed animals flew into a donation box like little beacons of hope.

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