A Day Of Giving 2026

Past years

Where it started in 2016, and nine Decembers of A Day Of Giving since, from a fire station parking lot to Peoria Sports Complex.

2016

The roots

  • 2016
  • 80 families, per the Peoria Times.

Peoria Times, Dec. 2023 (opens in a new tab)

Photos and details coming soon.

2017

The first official Day of Giving

  • Saturday, December 16, 2017, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
  • Fire Station No. 1 lot, Old Town Peoria
  • Founded by Brian Morris, David Bell and Dave Delvecchio as the Holiday Squad, run with AFSCME Local 3282. Clothing, blankets, diapers, food, water and toys, plus cookie decorating, face painting and Santa.

Read the full story

Peoria Times, Dec. 22, 2017 (print); Peoria City Council minutes (opens in a new tab)

Photos and details coming soon.

2018

Photos and details coming soon.

2019

The first under the PGA name

  • Saturday, December 21, 2019
  • Peoria Community Center
  • 12News reported more than $100,000 in gifts on the tables: bikes, basketballs, stuffed animals and even drones. Peoria Fire cooked for the crowd, and Santa kept an eye on things.

12News, Dec. 21, 2019 (opens in a new tab)

Photos and details coming soon.

2020

  • December 2020

Photos and details coming soon.

2021

Photos and details coming soon.

2022

Photos and details coming soon.

2023

  • Saturday, December 16, 2023, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
  • Peoria Community Center, 8335 W Jefferson St
  • The Peoria Times counted more than 1,900 children and over 400 food boxes.

Peoria Times, Dec. 22, 2023 (opens in a new tab)

Photos and details coming soon.

2024

8th annual

  • Sunday, December 15, 2024, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
  • Peoria Sports Complex (the first year there)
  • Presented with Mayor Jason Beck, Peoria Ford, Advant-Edge Pools and Service Sacrifice Gratitude. Before the day, volunteers went shopping for gifts on FOX 10's cameras. ABC15 reported about 2,150 children served.

FOX 10, Dec. 5, 2024 (opens in a new tab)ABC15 (opens in a new tab)City of Peoria (opens in a new tab)

Photos and details coming soon.

2025

9th annual

  • Saturday, December 20, 2025, 7 a.m.–3 p.m.
  • Peoria Sports Complex

On December 20, 2025, we served 2,500 families and 4,500 kids, with 700 volunteers and more than 1,000 vendors, community partners and donors behind them.

Press counts varied: 12News reported more than 2,500 families, and the Peoria Independent reported 5,100 youths.

12News, Dec. 20, 2025 (opens in a new tab)Peoria Independent (opens in a new tab)

“It's about bringing hope to families that might not otherwise have some hope for the holidays.”

Brian Morris, President and Co-Founder, Purposeful Giving Alliance, to 12News
Watch the 2025 recap (opens in a new tab)

Video by Doug Laird

A large group of volunteers in matching shirts posing together on the 2025 shopping day
Part of the shopping day crew.
A row of brand-new kids' bikes lined up on the gym floor
Bikes lined up and ready for new owners.
A young child in a Santa hat choosing a teddy bear from the toy tables
Choosing the bear took a while. Worth it.
A volunteer standing in a gym full of gift tables
The gym, ready for families.
Peoria first responders next to their truck with big bags of donated gifts
Our first responders showed up big.
Families and staff at the entrance gates decorated with garland and red bows
Families coming through the gates.
Volunteers in Relief Squad shirts posing with Santa at Santa's Corner
The Santa's Corner crew.
A child visiting Santa at Santa's Corner
Santa's Corner had a line all day.
Long tables piled with toys and stuffed animals inside the gym
Stuffed animals as far as you could see.
Volunteers packing boxes of gifts
Packing boxes for the big day.
Firefighters and police officers with Santa outdoors in front of the event banner
Santa brought backup.
Kids riding a colorful barrel train past the Team Store
The train ride outside the Team Store.
A volunteer at a toy table while kids look over the toys
Helping pick out the perfect toy.
A big group of volunteers on the shopping day
700 volunteers gave up a Saturday. Thank you.
Pallets of boxed donations stacked in a warehouse
Pallet after pallet, all donated.
Two men talking outside the Team Store during the event
Catching up outside the Team Store.
The outside of the venue at the Peoria Sports Complex
Home base: Peoria Sports Complex.

To everyone who wrapped, lifted, served and smiled last year: you made a lot of kids very happy. We can't wait to do it again with you.

— Brian, David and the whole PGA crew

Year ten is Saturday, December 19, 2026.

VolunteerGive