It has been 20 years since the community came together around the loss of one of their own.
“Before mom was killed her and three or four other friends from the church, started doing a little small toy drive at one of their houses,” David Holtzclaw, Sylvia Holtzclaw’s son, said.
The unsolved murder of Sylvia Holtzclaw helped launch one of the biggest Christmas toy drives in the area.
“We started a toy drive here at the Clock restaurant, which was mom’s favorite place to eat,” Holtzclaw said.
Her son says it’s a way to keep his mother’s memory alive.
“To see the joy on those kids faces when the police officers and everyone takes them around and they can pick up the toys and know that we had a small hand and that really means a lot and I know it would mean a lot to her,” Holtzclaw said.
And to do something good for the community at the same time.
“It’s all about the joy that we can somehow be a small part of bringing them and know that mom is happy and mom is smiling and that’s what we want,” Holtzclaw said.
It also helps keep his mother’s case in the public eye.
“It does allow us to help keep the case out there and help make people aware that this case is unsolved,” Holtzclaw said.
Many of the toys from this drive go to benefit the Greer Police Department’s Cops for Tots program.
“You can make a big difference very quickly and very easily whether it’s one toy or are you bring 1000 toys,” Holtzclaw said.
And Holtzclaw says no matter where or how you do it, give some Christmas cheer this year.
“Just do some thing to help somebody this Christmas,” Holtzclaw said.