It’s A Season of Giving: Aid2Day’s 5th Annual Gift Drive

Cancer does not pause for the holidays. While winter is often filled with laughter, celebrations, and time spent with loved ones, many children suffering from pediatric cancer spend the season confined to hospital rooms, forced to navigate treatments, isolation, and uncertainty during what is meant to be the happiest time of year. This stark contrast can introduce new emotional challenges, adding to the physical and mental battles these children already fight every day. For families enduring pediatric cancer, the financial burden of medical bills and ongoing care can make even small traditions, like holiday gifts, feel out of reach. 

Now, for the fifth year, Aid2Day aims to help by bringing moments of joy, comfort, and normalcy to children and families when they need it most through its annual Holiday Gift Drive. Led by Isla Nightingale and Jack Jerow, co-directors of Aid2Day’s Events and Programs Department, the initiative is rooted in compassion and powered by the strength of the Aid2Day community.

Preparation for the Holiday Gift Drive began months in advance. Over the summer, Aid2Day connected with 11 hospitals across the country, eager to spread holiday cheer to their pediatric oncology patients. These hospitals were: Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, OSF (Illinois), Lurie Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Corewell (DeVos), Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, Penn State Health Children’s Hospital, Nemours Children’s Health, Children’s National Hospital, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  

The next step was to secure donations, which was completed through grant applications to obtain institutional funding while also reaching out directly to companies through emails and phone calls, sharing Aid2Day’s mission and the tangible impact of the drive. Incredibly, some businesses chose to donate gifts directly, providing toys and clothing at no cost. Aid2Day is especially grateful to Hopscotch (Maplewood, NJ), Toyology Toys (West Bloomfield, MI), Klawsome (Novi, MI), and Learning Express Toys (New York, NY) for their support.

Aid2Day members themselves played a critical role in fundraising. Ambassadors raised at least $50 each, department members raised a minimum of $75, and department heads raised at least $100 by reaching out to friends, family and their social networks. Their dedication and teamwork were critical to bringing the program to life. As Kavya Ambati, co-founder of Aid2Day, shared, what meant the most to her was “working alongside such a passionate team who truly cared for the mission, working tirelessly to ensure that pediatric patients are able to spend their holidays with comfort and normalcy,” a sentiment echoed by co-founder Heera Santhosh, who reflected that “being able to share the love and warmth of the holiday season with children who may experience it differently” has become the part of the Holiday Gift Drive she looks forward to most each year.

To make the donation process more intentional, the team developed a detailed gift catalog, organized by age group, through Excel spreadsheets. This allowed donors to directly pick the specific gifts they wished a child to receive, creating a personal connection to the drive. Some of the options included bath toys (for infants), Play-Doh (for preschoolers), LEGO sets (for school age), Apple products (for pre-teens/teenagers) and so much more. There were also gifts created specifically for pediatric cancer patients, such as a pill swallowing cup. Each item was then assigned a unique gift ID to streamline ordering and distribution, which was then a part of the payment submission form to ensure that the donor’s money went where they intended it to. 

By the end of the drive, more than 2,000 gifts had been donated, reaching an estimated 1,750 pediatric patients and their families, with impact resonating deeply across Aid2Day’s partner hospitals. Children’s National Hospital shared, “These gifts bring joy, comfort, and normalcy to kids who are facing medical challenges by helping brighten their day... [and] ensure that each patient receives toys for the holidays during their visit or stay.” Similarly, Penn State Health expressed heartfelt appreciation, noting, “We can’t thank you enough again for sending us items that we were able to bring joy to our patients during the holiday season.”

Echoing the sentiments of the hospitals and families served, Aid2Day extends its deepest gratitude to everyone who helped make this year’s Holiday Gift Drive a success. Through compassion, dedication, and collaboration, Aid2Day continues to strive to bring light, warmth and hope to children and their families during the most challenging times of the year. 

Enjoy the photos below of the deliveries!