Toys for Toga Kicks off 14th Annual Toy Drive 

It’s a magical moment that transcends generations. 

December 25th comes around and kids across the country race to the tree to see what “Santa” brought them. 

But for those in need in Saratoga County, this can be a moment of stress as parents struggle to balance bills, cost of food, gas prices, and other expenses along with the need to make sure their kids have a Merry Christmas. 

Enter Toys for Toga, an annual toy drive founded to provide local kids with toys during the holiday season. The drive, which is in its 14th year, held a kickoff event for the 2026 season on Nov. 10 at the intersection of Caroline and Broadway. The initiative runs from Nov. 2–Dec. 12. 

At the end of the drive, the toys are donated to three Saratoga County charities — Franklin Community Center, CAPTAIN Community Human Services and the Mechanicville Area Community Services Center. 

William Oswald, the founder of Toys for Toga, said the drive was inspired by an old bar tradition where people would pin donations to bar the in order to help various charitable causes or just to help out someone going through a rough time. Oswald said the drive has grown from humble beginnings at Saratoga Brewing to what it is now. 

“It was literally me and my tap room manager driving around in our white van picking up toys, and it just has grown and grown,” Oswald said. 

After the close of the brewery in 2018, the drive was taken on by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and Discover Saratoga before falling under the umbrella of the charity Brewnited around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In 2025 the drive collected over 5,500 toys and collected over $18,000 with the money being used to purchase gifts for the three charities supported by the initiative. Oswald said much of this money is used to buy gifts for older kids who don’t have the same needs as younger kids. 

Oswald said that the response to the toy drive from the business community has been overwhelmingly positive. 

“When I walk around town and hand out boxes, people they light up,”  Oswald said. “When I say, ‘Oh, we’re doing this event or that,’ people are like, ‘What do you need? How can I help? What can I?.’ It’s the totality of the community that’s really special.” 

This year those looking to support the toy drive have multiple ways to contribute. In addition to dropping a new toy in one of the dozens of white boxes across the county, residents looking to support can buy a special Toys for Toga IPA from Druthers, donate to the Go Fund Me or Saratoga County Foundation or donate a toy at one of the partner events including: 

• We Brew the Funny at Artisanal Brew Works on Nov. 14

• The 40th Annual Victorian Streetwalk on Dec. 3

• Quick Response Holiday Lights Toy Collection on Dec. 11 and 12

• Toys for Tattoos at the Saratoga Tattoo Company on Dec. 13 

• Toys for Toga Dine to Donate at Cantina on Dec. 16. 

Full details about these events and links to the GoFundMe can be found on Discover Saratoga’s website, available by scanning the QR code.