Mega Doctor News
“‘Tis the season to be jolly,” according to a popular Christmas carol. But for those spending the holidays in the hospital, especially children, it can be challenging to embrace the magic of the holidays in the clinical environment.
To give hospitalized children the chance to celebrate the festive spirit of the holidays, South Texas Health System (STHS) Children’s has partnered with the Angel Quintanilla Foundation for the last 21 years to host a holiday toy drive every December.
Benefitting pediatric patients across the Rio Grande Valley, including those hospitalized at STHS Children’s, the initiative has grown in recent years to include a special Zumbathon aimed at helping local community members burn calories while giving back to the community.
For founder, Angel Quintanilla, the toy drive & Zumbathon stems from a desire to pay it forward.
Angel, a former patient at STHS Children’s, was born with cerebral palsy and spent many years in and out of the hospital during his childhood for treatment related to the congenital disorder.
“As a child, I would get sick a lot during the holiday season, and I always had this fear being unable to spend Christmas with my family,” says Angel, who during one of his first hospital stays had an unforgettable experience that changed his outlook.
“This group of college students stopped by my room and gave me some toys,” recalls Angel, who is now 28, of that significant visit when he was 7. “That random act of kindness lifted my spirits and showed me how changing your perspective can make an enormous difference. And it inspired me to pay it forward and launch my annual toy drive.”
In the early years of his drives, Angel sold handmade bracelets to raise money for the gifts he would donate. But for the last nine years, after meeting local Zumba instructor Veronica B. Ruiz, he has collaborated closely with her to host an annual Zumbathon, which has helped him collect more toy donations than he ever imagined possible.
In recent years, Angel and Veronica have hosted their Zumbathon in the main parking lot of STHS Children’s, which has allowed staff at the facility to get involved in the noble cause.
“Over the years, Angel has become an honorary member of the STHS Children’s family, and we’re grateful to him for the kindness he’s bestowed on the littlest patients in our care for more than two decades now,” says Tom Castañeda, System Director of Marketing & Public Relations, STHS. “In the last 20 years, he’s donated tens of thousands of toys to our facility alone as part of his annual toy drive, which has allowed our Child Life Departmentto deliver toys to our pediatric patients well after the holiday season is over!”
This year’s Zumbathon and toy drive will take place in the main parking lot of STHS Children’s on Saturday, December 13, 2025, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. The event will feature Veronica and a handful of other local Zumba instructors leading participants in Latin-themed aerobic dances.
Participation in the Zumbathon is free, but attendees are encouraged to bring at least one new, unwrapped and non-violent toy for the donation drive. All the collected items will be delivered to hospitals across the region, including STHS Children’s, in the days leading up to Christmas.
For complete details, visit the STHS Children’s Facebook events page. If you’re unable to attend the event but would still like to donate, please contact Angel Quintanilla via his public Facebook page at facebook.com/angelqofficial.
| Who: | South Texas Health System Children’s & The Angel Quintanilla Foundation |
| What: | Holiday Toy Drive & Zumbathon |
| When: | Saturday, December 13, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. |
| Where: | Main Parking Lot South Texas Health System Children’s 1102 W. Trenton Rd. Edinburg, TX. 78539 |
