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A Tejano Style Toy Drive Brings Joy to Children and Music Lovers

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On December 1, 2023, I hosted the second annual A Tejano Style Toys for Tots toy drive at Kazadorez Venue in Ft. Worth, Texas. The event was a success, with hundreds of toys collected and donated to the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, which distributes them to less fortunate children in the community.

I call my toy drive “A Tejano Style” toy drive because of my love of Tejano music. This year’s performers included Alize Nino, Trinity Rio, Tejano Outlaw Band, Rey Reyna and Aftershock. All of them are talented artists who share my passion for Tejano music and giving back to the community.

Alize Nino is a young and talented singer who performed at my toy drive last year, so I was super excited when she contacted me wanting to be a part of the toy drive again this year. She sang some of her original songs as well as some classic Tejano hits, and the crowd loved her. She has a bright future ahead of her and I’m proud to call her a friend.

Trinity Rio is a three-man group that had the crowd cheering and dancing during their 45-minute performance. They have a unique sound and are very charismatic on stage. They’re definitely a group to follow on their social media platforms and hopefully work with them again on future projects.

Tejano Outlaw Band is a new and upcoming local favorite that performed at my toy drive last year as well, so when another band canceled their performance, Mark Flores, the lead singer for Tejano Outlaw Band, was more than happy to perform. He and his bandmates are very professional and talented musicians who know how to entertain the audience with their energetic and upbeat songs. When Mark Flores agreed to perform, I was so relieved and had this huge weight lifted off my shoulders because I had asked them to perform maybe 10 days in advance of the toy drive. He was very supportive and helpful throughout the whole process, always checking in with me and offering his advice and assistance.

Rey Reyna is one of my all-time favorites that I grew up listening to, so when I started working on the toy drive back in April of this year, I knew I had to invite him and his band Aftershock. He was very humble and gracious when he accepted my invitation, saying “It doesn’t matter if I’m opening or closing, this event isn’t about me, it’s about helping the kids and I appreciate you for asking me and my band to perform.” He and his band delivered an amazing performance and I’m honored to have him as part of my toy drive.

One of my favorite things about this year’s toy drive was having Victor “DJ Fuego” Vasquez from Lansing, Michigan, who’s currently working on his very own internet radio station, as the official DJ for the event. He did a great job of playing music between sets and keeping the crowd engaged and entertained along with DJ Tejano Paul Benavides from TejanototheBone.com as a guest DJ. They donated their time and services to the toy drive, which I’m very grateful for.

I want to thank all the performers, sponsors, volunteers, and attendees who made this year’s toy drive possible. It was a wonderful night of music, fun, and generosity that I will never forget. I hope to see you all again next year for the third annual A Tejano Style Toys for Tots toy drive.

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