Christmas block party provides hundreds of gifts to impoverished neighborhood

Having been raised in the impoverished Donna Street neighborhood, Robert Strawder understands the childhood feeling of not receiving any gifts during the holiday season.

“I remember many days not having a Christmas tree, and not having toys and things like that,” Strawder said. “So, I know how kids here feel.”

On Saturday, his Taking Back the Block Foundation returned to the North Las Vegas neighborhood, bearing hundreds of toys during the third annual “Donna Street Christmas Block Party.”

Small children shimmied to blaring hip-hop music, while others played cornhole, climbed an artificial rock wall and boarded a mobile trailer equipped with video games.

Dozens of new bicycles that were going to be given away were lined up next to a fence.

“I can’t wait to see their smiles,” Strawder said, “to see them riding around in the event in their new bike.”

A man dressed as Santa Claus was a big hit among the younger attendees, who rushed to hug him and pose for photos.

The three-hour event was organized by the Donna Street Community Center and other community partners, such as Las Vegas police, the city of North Las Vegas and a radio station that helped with toy drives.

The Metropolitan Police Department called it “one of our most impactful events.”

Attendees lined up for free tacos during the tepid, sunny afternoon.

“Every kid here is gonna get a gift,” a DJ exclaimed.

Albert Washington took the afternoon off from work to bring his three boys, ages 7, 9 and 13.

“It’s a really nice thing for us to come together like this and have a wonderful time together,” said Washington, who used to live in the neighborhood.

Kameiko Mcmorris also grew up in the neighborhood, but this was her first holiday block party. She brought her kids, ages 5, 8 and 9.

“I think this is a positive event for the community, and it’s nice to give back to the community here,” she said.

U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., dropped by, bringing along a few more gifts.

The congressman remembered attending the nearby Quannah McCall Elementary School.

“It’s a beautiful day, the fact that they’re bringing the resources here, connecting young kids to the toys, the Santa, the food,” he told the Review-Journal. “But it’s not just about today, it’s about what will be happening here in the weeks and the months to come.”

Strawder — Clark County School District’s 2023 New Educator of the Year — is spearheading efforts to open the new Donna Street Community Center within the Centennial Park Apartments, where the block party is held.

The Las Vegas Raiders and Cox Communications funded a video game room and a technology center, he said.

Strawder envisions a hub where children will spend after-school hours learning and playing instead of getting in trouble. The center will also offer GED courses for their parents, he said.

He said he dreams of a day when one of the children he helps mentor becomes a prominent leader, perhaps even the president of the United States.

Precious Hayes attended the block party with eight of her young family members, including her two daughters.

“One of a kind,” she said. “It’s just amazing.”

Hayes said that each child last year walked away with more than one toy.

She said that without the gifts they were receiving Saturday, her daughters would likely not be opening any Christmas gifts this year.

“If you didn’t make it this year, come out,” she said. “It’s just a nice time without any hassle, and you’re guaranteed to go home with what you came for, which is a gift.”

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow @rickytwrites on X.