Nearly a dozen businesses banded together Friday in Country Club Hills to make sure area residents were able to end the year on a high note.

The inaugural Southland Spirit of Giving Drive-Thru Holiday Toy Event outside of Sweetz Bar and Grille in Heritage Plaza provided toys and food for roughly 400 families, organizers said.

“We’re all extremely excited,” said Elvy Smith, manager of the Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood Bar in town. “We’re all just excited to be in the spirit of giving.”

Families were able to sign up for their needs at participating businesses, which included Enviyon Entertainment, The Atrium, Hook & Reel, Razor Sharp Barber Club, Aces Cafe and Sweetz. Organizers then matched up families with donations the businesses also collected.

The goal was to get 25 families per business and at least one toy for every child on the list, but they ended up distributing to about 400 families. Smith said that was largely due to the level of involvement from the businesses.

“I originally had the idea, but if it wasn’t for them it would not be so big,” Smith said. “It snowballed into this great thing thanks to these businesses.”

Romel Williams, founder of Enviyon Entertainment, was one of the first to step up. Williams said they typically do a back-to-school drive each year but that did not happen in 2020.

In addition to the health concerns posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, many Chicago Southland families have faced economic hardships that are creating tough choices around the holidays.

“COVID really stopped a lot of things,” Williams said.

The two started talking to other business owners, and the idea to help the community quickly caught fire. They organized everything in just the first couple weeks of December.

“Every time I introduced the idea, everyone was 100% hands-on,” Smith said. “I was pleasantly shocked. I was relieved.”

Williams said the other concern was whether people would donate while so many are facing hardship. They were pleasantly surprised. He said because much of his clientele is younger, they are great about spreading the word quickly on social media. And people heeded the call.

“There are still some people who consider themselves fortunate, and those are the ones giving,” he said.

Smith said the business owners in Country Club Hills are giving people. Running a business in town, she said it meant a lot to her on a personal level because she has heard the stories of families affected by the pandemic all year, including job losses and issues finding babysitters in the midst of a health crisis. The struggles of children, in particular, stuck out to her because they have no control over what is happening.

“My heart just went out to them,” she said.

Doing a giveaway in a safe manner in the age of COVID-19 was another obstacle. But Williams said the notion of a toy “drive” ultimately led them to the drive-through format. People did not have to leave their cars. They simply pulled up, shared their names and at which businesses they signed up. Preloaded bags were brought to their cars by Santa and his helpers, who also offered a curbside photo opportunity.

“Literally, the word drive had a lot to do with how we were going to do it, which I thought was cool,” Williams said.

Volunteers and business owners also wore masks while bagging items inside Sweetz, and many also did outside during the giveaway.

Sean Dale, host of Raw TV Radio on Power 92, was master of ceremonies.

“There’s more need now than ever,” he said. “I definitely wanted to support and be part of something as meaningful as this.”

Smith said she intends to make this an annual event. Williams said whether it is this or another effort they bring back next year, he is proud to be part of a group of businesses doing what they can for residents in the Country Club Hills area.

“I’m always looking for opportunities for the community and giving back,” he said. “It’s part of the backbone of the success of my business.”

Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.