12th annual toy bash to take over Cape Girardeau's downtown bars

It all started with a Christmas party at Ryan Eftink's house 12 years ago. There was barbeque, there was music and there were lots and lots of toys.

"I came up with the idea that if we have a Christmas party, let's makes it for a reason," Eftink said. "We told our friends if they brought a toy they didn't have to pay anything and if you didn't, you pay $10 and we barbequed all night."

That started the beginning of the Happy Slapowitz Toy Bash, which is a downtown toy drive that benefits Toys for Tots.

"The main reason for Toys for Tots is because it goes further than just the Cape Girardeau County area," Eftink said. "It helps kids in four surrounding counties. So we donate everything to Toys for Tots because that way we can help more kids."

Happy Slapowitz has grown out of Eftink's house to eight downtown bars, including Rude Dog, the first bar to host the toy drive.

"What we do is we have one night to party, basically," Eftink said. "And what we try to do is try to convince people to come out, enjoy some good barbeque, listen to some local bands, all for the cost of a brand new toy."

Eftink said for the first couple of years, the drive did not have a name. When the drive got big enough for people to start asking about it, that's when they came up with Happy Slapowitz.

"One owner of Rude Dog wanted the bar to be named Happy Slapowitz and the other one wanted it to be called Rude Dog Pub," Eftink said. "Obviously Rude Dog won out, so when we were trying to think of a name we thought Happy Slapowitz would be kind of like an inside thank you to Rude Dog."

Even though there are seven other bars hosting Happy Slapowitz this year, Eftink said that they see Rude Dog Pub as their "home base."

"Without Rude Dog's regulars, it would have never gotten off the ground," Eftink said. "They brought down toys like crazy. It's pretty humbling when you watch people like that just bring things down, and they love the fact that they're helping out."

The other seven downtown bars this year include Pour House, Lodos, Hotshots, Mixing 10, Bel Air, That One Bar and The Library.

This is the third year for The Library to participate in the toy bash and the owner Cathy Thompson said she sees it growing every year.

"Christmas is all about the children," Thompson said. "The toy bash is literally just spreading Christmas joy and about putting that smile on that child's face Christmas morning. I love to be a part of that, and so happy it has gotten so big."

The Library will host the band Old School Hype and have happy hour all night long.

"That will offer to the adults a way to give as much as they can," Thompson said. "So we will compensate the difference so that they can give more."

The Library will also offer a free drink to anyone who purchases a raffle ticket.

Each bar will have its own unique raffle basket. There will be 100 tickets per bar and the cost will be $5 per ticket.

"We came up with the raffle idea because we want everyone to go to all the bars and listen to all the different bands," Eftink said.

Some of the raffle baskets include beer for a year from Kohfeld Distributing, a monster truck package and various gift certificates.

All money made by the raffles goes to the kids as well.

Happy Slapowitz has around 14 raffle sponsors that donated to the baskets, along with approximately 30 T-shirt sponsors. All of the sponsors are local organizations and businesses.

"Kohlfeld is providing wristbands and their raffle basket," Eftink said. "Smokin' Brothers will donate the barbeque, and of course all of the local bands that donate their time to help us and play."

Each bar will have a live band as well as a barbeque buffet.

"We have sponsors that sponsor the barbeque, the T-shirts and everything that costs us money," Eftink said. "We have sponsors to cover it, so any money raised that night or from the T-shirts all goes back to the kids. 100 percent of the proceeds go to Toys for Tots."

In order to participate in the Happy Slapowitz Toy Bash, you can pay $10 at the door, wear the 2013 Happy Slapowitz T-shirt or donate a new, unwrapped toy.

"One bar, one location, gets you into eight locations," Eftink said.

Happy Slapowitz Toy Bash will start at 6 p.m. Thursday in downtown Cape Girardeau.

For more information on the band list, the raffles, to purchase T-shirt or a list of sponsors, visit the Happy Slapowitz Facebook page.

Also, if you cannot make it to the Toy Bash but would like to donate, visit any of the 14 sponsors that have a toy bash box, in conjunction with the Toys for Tots box. Just a few include Smokin' Brothers, Belladonna and Bold Marketing.