everywhere piccalilli: Crowd gathers in San Rafael for Mill Valley church's toy giveaway

Three-year-old Reliy Cacluh carries a new toy he received from Big God Ministries during its annual toy giveaway at Pickleweed Community Center in San Rafael on Tuesday. (IJ photo/Alan Dep)

More than 100 adults and children gathered in San Rafael's Canal neighborhood Tuesday afternoon for a Mill Valley church's annual toy giveaway.

Big God Ministries volunteers unloaded some 2,000 toys from a U-Haul truck, organizing the play things by age and gender on folding tables at Pickleweed Park Community Center.

"My message is, 'Do something for somebody you don't know ? love them without that drama,'" said David Hall, pastor of the Mill Valley-based nondenominational Christian congregation.

Hall said his church distributed about 800 stuffed animals, board games, Barbie dolls and other toys in Marin City on Monday.

Hall, 49, grew up in Marin City with a single mother raising six children

Pastor David Hall of Big God Ministries talks to kids and their parent gathered for the ministry's annual holiday toy giveaway at Pickleweed Community Center in San Rafael. (IJ photo/Alan Dep)

with government assistance. He said he always appreciated it when people came to his neighborhood to do good.

For about 15 years, Hall worked as a football coach at Tamalpais High School and wasn't religious until a 14-year-old student on his team died of a brain tumor several years ago.

The experience inspired Hall, who also runs a car detailing business, to start Big God Ministries.

The church collects presents and cash donations for its Christmas toy giveaways and Thanksgiving turkey giveaways all year, Hall said.

Donela Lopez, 26, was waiting in line with her two daughters, ages 3 and 9 months, 15 minutes before church members arrived. Lopez said her husband works in a restaurant but has seen his income fall

due to the economy ? and buying gifts for the children remains challenging.

Sisters Lebi and Judith Alvarez were also at the event with their families, hoping to find nice children's gifts.

"They help many people," Lebi Alvarez said, speaking in Spanish. "They're the only ones who come to help out."

Volunteer Roland Carr, of Corte Madera, said he taught Hall mathematics in the mid-1970s at Tamalpais High and comes to help during the Thanksgiving and Christmas giveaways.

"It's