Team Wolf 2015
Team Wolf has a Code. Fishing is not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle. Boating is not just a pastime, it is a passion. And giving is not just an afterthought, it is a family commitment. The Wolf Pack lives by that.
Several years ago, Chris Wolf heard about the POC Toy Run on the 2coolfishing.com website. He told his wife he wanted to participate. She listened and then said, “Honey, it is 6 hours plus away. There are toy drives closer.” Chris loved to fish, loved POC, and loved to give to others. He said, “I can’t take my boat to those others!” So, they decided to try it, and they have been coming ever since. This is their 4th year to pack the boat and make the run. This year they brought 11 adults and 3 kids to the POC Toy Run all the way from Midlothian, Texas.
Family members met them from Fort Worth, Beaumont and Trinity, Texas. They ran two boats this year because they collected so many toys they would not fit in one. The 4 year old was a little young to boat in, but arrived by car with her grandparents to participate. Nieces Haylee, 5, and Payton, 2 rode most of the way in the car but joined the run on the second leg out of Matagorda Bay and absolutely loved the lighted boat parade. Mimi and Grammy made sure the children were part of the effort whether arriving by boat or car.
Chris’ daughter Lainey is only 8, and this was her first year to boat the whole run. Lainey dressed as a lighted Camo Christmas tree on the bow of the boat for the boat parade. (See picture on page 3.) She and her 4 year old sister Allie love to help shop and want to ‘pick out toys to give to other kids.’ One evening the family shopped until 10:00 p.m. filling more than six baskets with toys. The girls love to help. They would fill one basket, leave it at the service desk and fill another.
Overall the family spent about $3,300 on toys. Chris, Michelle and their two daughters shopped after work and late evenings selecting more than $1,500 worth of toys. Cash donations from family, friends and co-workers made their giving possible. Nathan, Chris’ brother and his wife Ashley got donated toys from the Freeport Coast Guard Station where they both served and spent more than $200 of their own on toys. Ashley remains in the Coast Guard Reserves there so enlists their participation annually.
Even though Chris started it all, he now has everyone involved. His dad has boated with him some years but helped with the little ones this year. Their cousin Brandon joined Team Wolf to manage the extra toys this year, and he brought along his wife, parents and more donations of toys and money. So the Wolf Pack just keeps growing.
It has now become tradition to give ‘Toy Run Donations’ to adult family members for Christmas instead of presents. Chris sends big thanks to the company he works for. Hill and Wilkinson General Contractors support his Toy Run efforts. Employees and subcontractors donate toys or money generously when he sends out information each year. Family and friends who can’t make the run will also donate.
Team Wolf booked rooms for next year’s Toy Run before they ever left this year. They assure me they will be back, bigger and better. Brandon’s daughter wants to boat in and Chris’ Allie will be old enough to make the trip. More toys, more Wolves, more fun.
Chris and Michelle say the Toy Run is a great way to teach the girls about helping others who are in need. They have learned that giving to others is just as fun as getting presents. Also, this event brings three generations of our family together in support of a common goal while doing something we all love. The camaraderie of all of the people involved is what makes it so much fun.
There is a lot of work and travel involved in getting the toys to the coast, the trip itself is always special. “We have made the trip when it was 37 degrees and Matagorda Bay was rough, but that just adds to the excitement. This year the swing bridge at Caney Creek was broken on Sunday, this forced the group to return to Freeport to run out to the Gulf though the Colorado River in Matagorda and follow the coast line all the way back to the Freeport jetties. All the boats left as one group and stayed together until we were all back in the harbor in Freeport. You couldn’t ask for a better group of boaters to make this trip with,” said Chris.
After unloading toys and bikes, Team Wolf decorated for the parade. They strung lights around the boat and had a blow up Mickey Mouse Santa on top. Lainey was the tree on the bow. They had a few generator problems, but the tree was a battery pack, so she just kept on shining. I guess that was enough for the win because they took home the best small boat award. Team Wolf had a great time and many area kids will be surprised with new toys on Christmas morning.
