Emilio Nares Foundation launches Holiday Smile campaign

The Emilio Nares Foundation, a nonprofit that helps support families who have children battling cancer, launched its Holiday Smiles campaign with goals of raising $100,000 and collecting 500 new, unwrapped toys.

“These families go through so much, especially during the holiday season,” said Tania Zavala, a development manager for the Emilio Nares Foundation. “Most of them have to be hospitalized, or have back-to-back appointments, so we try to be a little ray of sunshine to these families.”

The campaign began on Nov. 5 and will run through the end of the year, with proceeds going to the patients in transplant, oncology and sickle cell units at San Diego Rady Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

The nonprofit was founded more than 20 years ago by Richard and Diane Nares, whose 5-year-old son Emilio died from leukemia. Emilio would have been 30 this year. Since then, the foundation has helped thousands of families throughout San Diego and the rest of Southern California.

Every donation of at least $50 includes entry into a raffle for one of four prizes. Winners will be announced on Jan. 6, Emilio’s birthday.

This year’s drive also takes place as families face uncertainty with federal funding for benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“Given all of the things happening with the SNAP program, we’re trying to pivot a little bit to not just providing toys for the children or gift cards to supplement whatever additional needs the families may have,” Zavala said. “We are also doing food drives and collecting food for us to be able to distribute during these holiday parties.”

The foundation is also looking for volunteers to wrap gifts or pack snack bags to be delivered to the hospital units.

“Day in and day out, the staff at Rady Children’s Hospital work alongside ENF to provide inclusive care for every patient and their families,” Elsa Morales-Roth, executive director of the foundation, said in a statement. “This campaign is our way of giving back to both the families we serve and the healthcare heroes who make such a difference.”

For more information, visit www.enfhope.org.