Each winter on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, a quiet miracle unfolds. In homes across nearly 20 remote communities, more than 1,000 children open beautifully wrapped gifts bearing their own names and revealing handpicked surprises from their very own wish lists.
These gifts come to the children through the Cheyenne River Youth Project’s Wo Otúh’an Wi (Moon of Giving Away Presents) Toy Drive, which has been the nonprofit organization’s largest and most beloved program for more than 35 years. What began as a modest, grassroots effort to organize in-kind donations so each child would receive a holiday gift has grown into a massive effort that mobilizes donors and volunteers nationwide.
Julie Garreau, CRYP’s chief executive officer, said Arts Manager Wakinyan Chief has referred to the youth project the anti-boarding school. That resonated with her, and she said the description definitely applies to the toy drive as well.
“I am a survivor of the boarding school era, so this is personal for me,” she explained. “One December I received a random gift, and it was broken. I was about seven years old, and I never forgot how that made me feel. I have devoted my life to making sure our children feel safe, connected, loved, and treasured. They are not just numbers.”
Although the program’s reach has expanded across decades and generations, it remains deeply personal. Garreau and her dedicated team read every single child’s wish list and make sure they receive gifts from that list, with each colorful package addressed to them by name.
“Sometimes they ask for art supplies, sports gear, and favorite toys,” Garreau said. “Other times, they ask for warm winter clothing, baby supplies for siblings, or household needs for parents and grandparents. No matter what they ask for, it’s about making their wishes come true.”
The traditional values of generosity and care for others — the giving spirit that defines the Lakota way of life — are central to the effort. Families renew their memberships in CRYP’s Family Services program each year, and then donors across the country fulfill the wish lists.
Some donors send gifts directly to CRYP, while others organize local toy drives and arrange to have the gifts picked up or delivered. Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado, has partnered with CRYP for more than 15 years, with student council representatives adopting at least 300 wish lists per year.
CRYP relies on its extensive network of partners and individual donors to make this annual miracle possible. Yet as charitable donations dip on a national scale in the current economic climate, Garreau said the need feels especially urgent this year.
“Our children depend on us,” she said. “When they’re small, they believe Santa loves them. When they’re older, they understand the magnitude of what happens here and feel, on a heart level, that they are seen, they are cared for, and they matter. That means everything.”
Supporters can help by adopting a child’s wish list, organizing a local toy drive on CRYP’s behalf, purchasing most-requested toys directly from CRYP’s Amazon Wish List, donating funds or gift cards, donating wrapping supplies, or volunteering at the youth project’s gift-wrapping headquarters in Eagle Butte.
To learn more, visit lakotayouth.org/toy-drive or call (605) 964-8200. To stay up to date on the latest CRYP news and events, follow the youth project on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
The Cheyenne River Youth Project, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.