Nautica Lane
The event included recreational holiday activities for the family like face painting and making gingerbread houses. Here kids make tasty gingerbread houses with parents. (Staff photos by Nautica Lane)
On Saturday, December 21, 2013 The John Avery Boys & Girls Club held their first annual Toy and Coat Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event was presented by NINETY SIX and held at the LeRoy T. Walker Physical Education and Recreation Complex at North Carolina Central University.
Walking into the building that morning, I saw a line with about 10 to 12 families waiting to get into the gymnasium to pick out either a coat or toy. Once in the gym, there were about six families at a time coming in and browsing through their many choices.
Dollhouses, remote controlled cars and planes, winter coats and hoodies waited the couple of hundred other kids that came throughout the afternoon.
Brittany Cooper, a NINTEY SIX co-founder, said with just two months of planning, the drive was able to help about 260 local kids have a more joyous holiday season.
“This event was such a success for us and we could not have done this without your [the community’s] help,” she said. “NINETY SIX has already started to plan next year’s event and we’re looking forward to reaching even more families.”
-Young girls show their new toys from the drive held Dec. 21 on N.C. Central’s campus.
High school boys play a game of H-O-R-S-E with friends during the holiday toy and coat drive.
A boy shows interest in a new winter coat to his dad in the Leroy T. Walker Physical Education and Recreation Complex.
Outside the gym, boys toss around their new football – a holiday tradition.