23,000 Gifts Given Away At 'Dolls For Daughters' Event

DENVER (CBS4) - Thousands of families lined up on Saturday to get Christmas gifts for their children. It's the third event of its kind for a local charity.

The event was about more than just giving -- it also helps remember a special little girl.

Families braved the cold as each person in line was given a number. Once they made it inside they were able to pick out brand new Christmas gifts for their children, wrap them, and take them home.

"I'm a student; I'm not employed right now. The year's been a little rough on us," a woman said.

"Everybody can't come and go buy everything at the mall, you know?" Another woman said. "Sometimes it's expensive. Bills come up and rent is due."

Saturday's event was made possible by Dolls for Daughters -- an idea created by Jessica Bachus.

"We work hard all year to raise money and purchase new toys and we have great individuals that donate toys to us," Bachuss said.

Hours into the event the line was still wrapped all the way around the building. For Bachus, watching parents pick out Christmas gifts for their children helps her heal after grieving a tragic loss.

"Five years ago this Christmas I was grieving the loss of my daughter Kinzie and I thought if Kinzie were here we would be giving new dolls to her," Bachus said.

So instead, she's created a nonprofit to give gifts to others.

"I would hope Kinzie would be very proud of me and very proud of the work that we have done in her memory, and I hope actually she's smiling down on us just excited to know that her legacy lives on," Bachus said.

The organization gave away more than 23,000 gifts on Saturday.