How Brantley Gilbert saved Christmas — with a $10.5 million Toys for Tots donation.
'They tell me this is one of the largest donations Toys for Tots has ever received.'
$10.5 million can buy a lot of toys.
A lot of toys.
Photo by Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images.
And thanks to country star Brantley Gilbert, lots of toys is exactly what children around the U.S. will get.
Gilbert teamed up with Bendon Publishing to donate $10.5 million to the Toys for Tots organization.
Brantley Gilbert. Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for HGTV.
Why? Because Gilbert knowns what it can be like for kids from low-income and homeless families.
“Growing up in rural Georgia, I know that sometimes Christmas isn’t a time of joy for some kids, and our contribution might be all they receive this year, so I really wanted our donation to matter,” says Gilbert in a press release. “I’m honored the folks and Bendon understood why I wanted to work with them and Toys for Tots."
He's right, and his donation will matter, noting that it's "one of the largest donations Toys for Tots has ever received."
"Bendon’s books have some pretty cool heroes and lessons for all ages like Batman, Superman and Clifford the Big Red Dog to Disney, Peanuts and some of my favorites, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Whether a kid is into Barbie or Star Wars, I hope we’ve given a bit of fun and inspiration," Gilbert continues. "They tell me this is one of the largest donations Toys for Tots has ever received. [Bendon CEO Ben Ferguson] and his team realize the impact we could make is these kids’ lives. It’s a privilege to make this contribution together.”
More than 2 million kids in America will face a period of homelessness each year.
That statistic comes from Covenant House, an organization dedicated to helping homeless youth. The joys and innocence of childhood are so often taken from them due to their circumstances. Organizations like Toys for Tots do what they can to give that back, operating more than 700 campaigns across all 50 states.
Long-term solutions to homelessness are hard to come by, but we've seen that when communities and governments come together, they have the power to restore shelter and a sense of home to those most in need.
Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for iHeartMedia.
$10.5 million will make a big difference this holiday season and beyond.
It means Sarah can get the Clifford book she's been wanting and Bobby can get the coloring book he's had his eye on. It means smiles on kids faces and happiness in their hearts.
Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images.