Local Bands Host Holiday Toy Drive for Christmas Unlimited at The Black Sheep in Colorado Springs

For Joseph Nutter, giving back to his community around the holidays feels personal. He still remembers one childhood Christmas in particular where a local nonprofit stepped in to help his family.

“When I was four or five, we actually got Grinched,” he says. “It was just me and my mom, someone broke into my house and they took all the presents. I believe it was Christmas Unlimited that reached out and gave my mom some toys to help out with what had happened that night.”

That memory and others from his childhood inspired Nutter and his alt-rock outfit, Mindless Vitality, to organize a toy drive in support of Colorado Springs-based Christmas Unlimited back in 2022.

“None of us really had a lot of money growing up,” says the 25-year-old. “Me, personally, my family has used Christmas Unlimited before, and that’s kind of what sparked the idea. They helped us out, they helped me out, and I know they help a lot of people out, so definitely trying to give back.”

They’ve organized the event every year since, with this year’s iteration set for Dec. 14 at the Black Sheep with support from local bands Letters from the Sun, SemiFiction and Solar Point.

Nutter says to expect a show that’s “in your face, in a good way” from his group of “crazy dudes” he describes as energetic and goofy.

Tickets are $10 for those who bring a toy and $20 for those who don’t.

Pure excitement

The Colorado Springs-based trio wasn’t sure what to expect when they planned that first toy drive hosted at Sunshine Studios in 2021.

“When we did start seeing people come in and when they had toys in their hands, I remember it was just like pure excitement for us,” Nutter says. “We got super happy, and we knew that just like we’re actually going to be able to go and donate some stuff.”

The first year of the drive, the event brought in $1,000 worth of toys. Last year’s donations totaled close to $3,500 in toys.

“I mean, that’s a lot of kids that they’re helping us with,” says Christmas Unlimited Office Manager Dana Smith. “It’s just so needed; it’s just so appreciated.”

Gifts in the past have ranged from big ticket items like guitars to baskets of goods from the dollar store, Nutter says.

Christmas Unlimited accepts any new, unwrapped toy geared toward kids ages 12 and under. Smith says the nonprofit sometimes runs low on gifts for the youngest kids ages 0-5 as well as “girl items that aren’t dolls.”

“But we’ll take anything,” she says. “There’s kids out there that love everything.”

Christmas Unlimited is completely volunteer-run and served nearly 4,900 kids in El Paso and Teller counties through its toy program last year, according to the nonprofit’s website. The program allows parents to select gifts for their children at the nonprofit’s distribution center in a “store-like” environment.

“We’ve had so many parents come just in tears,” Smith says. “[They’re] so grateful that they have an option to provide their kids Christmas.”