Law Firm Sponsors Holiday Party, Toy Drive to Aid Local Children and Neighbors

Ward and Smith is sponsoring the Buncombe County Bar Holiday Party and Toy Drive tonight at The Venue in downtown Asheville, an event that pairs the local legal community's annual social gathering with a coordinated charity drive. Cocktail hour begins at 5:30 p.m. and the program starts at 6:30 p.m., and attendees are asked to bring toys and winter apparel for Santa Pal along with collections for Pisgah Legal Services.

The event continues a local tradition of channeling the Bar's year end network into material support for families and people experiencing homelessness during the cold season. By collecting toys and winter clothing, the legal community delivers immediate in kind resources that charitable groups can distribute without the lead time required for monetary fundraising. Collections for Pisgah Legal Services also provide a direct link between private donations and the nonprofit legal aid sector, which serves low income residents on civil matters that affect housing stability and access to benefits.

For Buncombe County residents the combined social and charitable focus has practical effects. In kind donations such as clothing and toys reduce immediate pressure on shelter operations and social service providers during months when demand typically rises. The sponsorship by a regional law firm also reflects the role of professional firms in local civic infrastructure, supporting small charities and neighborhood service providers while strengthening ties among attorneys who may contribute volunteer hours or pro bono representation.

There are local market effects as well. Hosting the event at a downtown venue brings business to hospitality providers and signals corporate civic engagement that can influence client perceptions and recruiting within the legal labor market. From a policy perspective the drive highlights a reliance on private sector and nonprofit responses to seasonal needs, a pattern that can prompt municipal leaders to reassess capacity for winter sheltering and child welfare support.

Tonight’s party is both a year end celebration and a functioning piece of Buncombe County’s informal safety net, channeling legal community resources into tangible help for children and unsheltered neighbors when temperatures drop.