UVALDE, Texas – The Robb Elementary School shooting in 2021 had a deep impact on the family of a 15-year-old girl.
“I live in a very small town in Kansas City, very far from Uvalde, Texas, but I was 15 when the Robb shooting happened,” said Sammie Magee.
“I’m home-schooled because of the Sandy Hook shooting. I’m the same age as the Sandy Hook kids, so my mom was just so scared to send me to school after that. That was the first big elementary school shooting,” Magee said.
Magee also felt a connection to one of the young Robb Elementary victims.
“I saw Amerie Jo Garza’s picture on the TV and heard she was a Girl Scout. I’m also a Girl Scout. I just got a gold award for my toy drives. So just to see a girl scout sister had been murdered in this tragedy, so I knew I needed to do something to help,” Magee said.
The starting goal was just to hold one toy drive, which she did in November of 2023, giving out around 2,000 items that her community in Kansas had donated.
“My mom and I went there. It is the most incredible thing ever and it was so difficult at the same time. I got to meet so many families at the cemetery and at Robb, and it’s just like they need this love. They need this support, and they appreciate it,” she said.
So, Magee kept going, holding the second toy drive this October. That’s where she got requests from families for help during the holidays. Thus, her Angel Tree drive was born.
The drive will help 45 Uvalde families, including several Robb Elementary families.
“So after they signed up, I got their wish list and built an Amazon wish list for each family. Everything purchased on that list gets directly shipped to that family,” Magee explained.
It launched last Wednesday, but by Tuesday morning, only one family’s list was complete.
Magee is hoping to have all 45 lists filled by the week before Christmas and is hoping the South Texas community will pitch in.
“Just these friendships I’ve built. Uvalde is like a second home to me,” Magee said.
Her deep ties and relationships show the power of connection, no matter how far away someone is.
Anyone who wants to donate can click the links below for each Uvalde family. At the top is the family’s name and a description of who the gifts are for. Some are for Robb shooting survivors.
Some of the family’s lists have filled up. Here are the ones you can still purchase gifts for: