Ninth grader Rudy Evans hosts fourth annual toy drive to give kids a good Christmas

Three years ago, 11-year-old Aydan Evans saw a news advertisement for collecting toys for children. He asked his mother if he could do one at their family-owned car wash that is operated by his dad. His parents agreed with the stipulation from his mother that he would be responsible for organizing the entire toy drive himself.

So the fifth grader who goes by Rudy and is son of Antonio and Marquita Evans, set out to do just that. He knew he wanted to dress up like Santa Claus. His mom came home from work and Rudy was at the table hard at work. He handed her a handwritten cursive letter and asked her to post it on her social media page. Part of that letter went like this: My name is Aydan Evans. I want to host a toy drive for kids in need out of the goodness of my heart.

And the rest is history. And future. Rudy did not stop there in 2021. He decided to make it an annual event, and it has been going strong since. 

Rudy is now a 14-year-old ninth grader at Dallas County High School. This year on Dec. 15, he hosted pajamas and hot cocoa for all the kids. He even made special deliveries, just as he had done the other few years.

Another success story from Rudy is in the books and a whole lot more smiles are on kids’ faces because of his heart to give and keep on giving. 

Rudy shared with us why and how he does this. “I have love for my community and I wanna make sure all the kids have something at Christmas time. My parents help me each year.  My mom always makes sure I get everything done right. She even buys most of it with her own money if we don't get a lot of donations. And my dad and I ask friends and family for donations also.”

Read more about Rudy's toy drive here.