23,000 Christmas Toys Given to Needy Colorado Children by Dolls for Daughters
The December 8, 2012, Dolls for Daughters event was a resounding success, achieving the highest participation and delivering more gifts to children than ever before in its history. This year a total of 3,000 Colorado families were helped.
Literally thousands of Coloradans lined up outside the Stanley British Primary School, some arriving up to five hours before the event began to receive a Christmas toy. In its first year the nonprofit organization gave away 150 dolls. Last year more than 4,000 dolls and other toys were presented to children and this year, thanks to a tremendous response from the community and sponsors, the organization gave away 23,000 gifts to children who might otherwise have gone without this holiday.
Dolls for Daughters, and its counterpart Toys for Boys, Toy Shop were born out of personal tragedy. In 2007, organization founder Jessica Bachus and her husband Kyle Bachus, a partner of Bachus & Schanker law firm, were grieving the loss of their unborn daughter Kenzi. Jessica knew that if Kenzi had survived, she would have bought her a doll for Christmas. Out of their personal tragedy, the idea for Dolls for Daughters was born. Kenzi’s legacy has gone on to bring joy to literally thousands of Colorado’s children at Christmas.
Jessica Bachus commented in a CBS televised news story, “I would hope Kenzi would be very proud of me and very proud of the work that we have done in her memory, and I hope actually she’s smiling down on us just as excited to know that her legacy lives on.”
