On November 28, 2025, a cold Friday night in Cherry Hill, something beautiful is going to happen. Neighbors will gather at the DoubleTree by Hilton, dressed in their finest black attire, ready to dance and celebrate. But this isn’t just another party. For many Philadelphia families watching from the sidelines, this night represents something much bigger: hope that their kids will have gifts under the tree this Christmas.
The All Black 18th Annual Holiday Affair is a fundraiser and toy drive that has quietly become one of the Philadelphia region’s most important holiday traditions. Organized by Big Scott Entertainment LLC, this event proves you can throw an incredible party while doing serious good in your community.
What Makes This Event Different
Walk into most charity events and you feel the weight of obligation. People write checks because they’re supposed to, not because they want to. The All Black Holiday Affair flips that script entirely.
This is a real party. Hip-hop legend Big Daddy Kane hosts the evening alongside promoters, along with Mayor Victor Carstarphen and Patty Jackson from WDAS!. The music bumps from 7:00 PM until 12:00 AM. People show up in suits, gowns, and their sharpest all-black looks because they genuinely want to be there. And while they’re having the time of their lives, every ticket they bought, every toy they brought, every dollar they donated goes straight to families in North Philly, West Philly, Camden, and South Jersey who are struggling to make ends meet.
The venue sits at 2349 Marlton Pike in Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey, just across the river from Philadelphia. That location matters because it draws from both sides of the Delaware, bringing together communities that often stay separate.
Now in its 18th year, the Holiday Affair has figured out what so many nonprofits miss: people want to give back, but they also want to feel alive while doing it. They want to dress up, see their friends, dance to good music, and know that showing up actually helps someone. This event delivers all of that in one night.
The Families Who Benefit
Let’s talk about who actually gets helped here, because that’s what really matters.
The All Black Holiday Affair serves families throughout the Philadelphia metro area who are dealing with situations most of us would rather not think about. Single moms working two jobs who still can’t afford Christmas gifts. Families where a parent lost their job and unemployment benefits don’t stretch far enough. Kids whose parents are choosing between paying the heating bill and buying presents.
Organizers work with local churches, schools, and social workers year-round to identify families who need support. They’re not looking for people to pity. They’re looking for neighbors who hit a rough patch and need a hand.
The toy drive focuses on children from babies through teenagers, because organizers know that a 15-year-old feels the sting of being left out just as much as a 5-year-old does. They collect age-appropriate gifts, winter coats, and grocery store gift cards. The cash donations fund emergency assistance for families facing eviction or having their utilities shut off.
Distribution happens through trusted community networks, not some impersonal bureaucracy. Families get connected through people they know, in spaces where they already feel comfortable. The whole process centers on dignity, not charity.
The Party Itself
Let’s be clear about something: this event is a whole vibe.
The all-black dress code isn’t a suggestion. People show up looking like they stepped off a magazine cover. Tailored suits, elegant gowns, statement jewelry, fresh cuts, perfect makeup. This is Black excellence on full display.
The DoubleTree ballroom transforms into a celebration of Black style, Black music, Black joy. DJs spin hip-hop, R&B, and soul. The dance floor stays packed. Special guest performers and appearances keep the energy high all night.
But even in the middle of all that celebration, the mission stays visible. Toy collection stations sit near the entrance. Organizers take moments between songs to remind everyone why they’re there. The fundraising goal gets updated throughout the night. Nobody forgets that this party has a purpose.
Behind the scenes, volunteers are already thinking ahead. They’re sorting donated toys by age and gender. They’re organizing distribution schedules to ensure families get their gifts before Christmas. They’re coordinating with community partners to identify last-minute needs. The five-hour event creates space for all of this to happen seamlessly.
How You Can Actually Help
Support looks different depending on where you are and what you can offer. Here are the concrete ways you can get involved.
If you’re in the Philadelphia area, buy tickets through Eventbrite and show up on November 28. Bring new, unwrapped toys appropriate for kids of all ages. Cash donations are also accepted at the door.
If you can’t attend but you’re local, donate toys directly. Contact the organizers through the Facebook event page or reach out to Big Scott Entertainment LLC to arrange drop-off. They need volunteers for toy sorting, event setup, and distribution coordination.
If you’re anywhere else in the U.S. or abroad, buy tickets online even though you won’t be there in person. The ticket sales fund the entire operation. Share the event widely on social media using hashtags like #AllBlackAffair, #PhillyGives, and #BlackJoyAndGiving. Tag friends who might want to contribute.
For African diaspora networks specifically, consider organizing remote fundraising drives. Get your friend groups, family chats, or community organizations involved. Host virtual gatherings where people contribute what they can. Small amounts add up fast when everyone participates.
The power of this event is that everyone can do something. You don’t need to be wealthy. You don’t need to live nearby. You just need to care.
What Community Care Actually Looks Like
The All Black Holiday Affair teaches us something about how community support should work.
First, it meets people where they are. Nobody has to prove they’re “deserving” or fill out endless paperwork. Community networks identify needs, and the event responds. That’s how mutual aid operated long before government bureaucracies got involved.
Second, it doesn’t separate joy from justice. Too often, we’re told that serious social issues require somber responses. But Black communities have always known better. We throw fish fries to pay someone’s medical bills. We host step shows to fund scholarships. We turn up to lift each other.
Third, it’s sustainable because people actually want to participate. When giving back feels like an obligation, people do the minimum and move on. When it feels like a celebration, they come back year after year. That’s why the All Black Holiday Affair has lasted 18 years and counting.
This isn’t charity. Charity implies distance, implies that some people give and others receive, and those categories stay fixed. Community care recognizes that we’re all in this together, that our fates are bound up with each other, that any of us might need help tomorrow.
The Legacy Being Built
Eighteen years is a long time. Kids who received toys from the first All Black Holiday Affair are adults now, potentially with children of their own. Some of them probably volunteer at the event today, giving back the way others gave to them.
That’s the real measure of success for any community program. Not just how many people you help in one year, but whether you build something that lasts, that teaches the next generation how to care for each other.
Big Scott Entertainment LLC and everyone involved in organizing this event understand they’re not just distributing toys. They’re modeling what a community looks like. They’re showing young people that your success should lift others, that cultural celebration and social responsibility go hand in hand, that Black joy and Black survival are intertwined.
Every child who wakes up Christmas morning with gifts because of this toy drive learns something about how the community works. Every parent who gets help learns they’re not alone. Every attendee who dances the night away while supporting neighbors learns that doing good doesn’t have to feel like a burden.
Those lessons ripple outward in ways we can’t always measure but that reshape communities over time.
Your Next Step
Head to the Eventbrite page right now and grab your tickets. If you’re planning to attend, coordinate with friends to bring toy donations. If you’re supporting from afar, buy tickets anyway and share the link with your networks.
Check out the Facebook event page for updates on volunteer opportunities and last-minute needs. Follow Big Scott Entertainment LLC to stay connected with their work beyond this single event.
Most importantly, talk about this. Tell people why it matters. Explain that community care isn’t abstract; it’s concrete. It’s toys under trees and winter coats on kids and families keeping their lights on.
The All Black 18th Annual Holiday Affair reminds us that we don’t have to choose between celebration and service, between joy and justice, between taking care of ourselves and taking care of each other. We can do all of it at once. We can dress up, dance all night, feel beautiful and powerful and alive, and still make sure our neighbors’ kids have a good Christmas.
That’s not just a fundraiser. That’s a vision for how community should work, not just during the holidays, but all year round.
Anand Subramanian is a freelance photographer and content writer based out of Tamil Nadu, India. Having a background in Engineering always made him curious about life on the other side of the spectrum. He leapt forward towards the Photography life and never looked back. Specializing in Documentary and Portrait photography gave him an up-close and personal view into the complexities of human beings and those experiences helped him branch out from visual to words. Today he is mentoring passionate photographers and writing about the different dimensions of the art world.
