Annual Holiday Toy Drive at local Boys & Girls Club a huge success this year
Family, friends and volunteers of the annual Holiday Toy Drive at the Boys & Girls Club of Gordon County, hosted by the Leonard Phillips Foundation, all agreed that this past weekend’s event was the best one yet.
“It’s going great,” said Tahnicia Phillips, daughter of the late Leonard Phillips. “We’ve got a lot of kids here, Santa’s here and we’ve got lots of toys so we’re really excited.”
The family of Leonard Phillips, who born and raised in Calhoun, began the annual toy drive four years ago in memory of the man described as giving and humble, after his life was cut short in August 2008 in a tragic motorcycle wreck in Cobb County.
Leonard, who graduated from Calhoun High School in the early 1970’s, married and moved to Cobb County, where he raised his family and worked at Lockheed Martin in Marietta, the job he was preparing to retire from after 30 years of service when the wreck occurred. The driver of the car that hit Leonard Phillips, Luciano Argueta- Aleman, was intoxicated, according to Cobb County Police. Argueta-Aleman fled the scene and has never been apprehended.
Leonard Phillips was an avid motorcycle rider and enthusiast and participated in many charity motorcycle rides through the years; he had a heart to help others in need.
To try to move forward after the accident, the tight-knit family, which includes Leonard’s wife Lucretia, Tahnicia and son Marc, decided to channel their grief into something good. “The year after he was killed, our family wanted to do something in his name to help families and victims of crime, just like us,” said Phillips. “We started the Leonard Phillips Foundation, which was initially established to help injured motorcyclists and their families with financial assistance and other needs. We are still in the beginning stages, but we are already giving back to the community and are giving back beyond motorcycle injuries and victims of crime.”
It has also been a catalyst for the annual toy drive and holiday party at the local Boys & Girls Club. This year, 22 children were served through the Holiday Toy Drive.
“I feel like we received a lot more sponsorship this year,” said Tahnicia. “We had a lot more Target stores, the Home Depot donated, we’ve received private donations from various companies, along with donations from family and friends.”
The children who are invited to the holiday party and toy drive are referred to the foundation. “The children actually attend the Boys & Girls Club of Gordon County,” said Tahnicia. Then Scope (Scorpio Denmon, the director of the club), I guess from working with the kids throughout the year, knows who could use the support; just to take the stress off the family.”
The annual event, according to Tahnicia, is something she is constantly working on. “We plan a year ahead,” she said. “And we are going to do this every year.”
The Leonard Phillips Foundation participates in many different charity events throughout the year, mainly in Cobb County at this time. “We do our annual motorcycle ride. With that ride, we also tag on a Back-to-School drive,” said Tahnicia. “In Cobb County, we sponsor the Center for Children and Young Adults. That is a children’s center that is similar to a homeless shelter; the kids have been displaced from their families because of foster, or they may be a victim of a crime. It’s housing- the kids actually live there. So as kids leave and come in, they need school supplies, so we donate school supplies each year for back to school through our ride.”
“We donate year-round to other shelter’s in need and even donate our time to various causes,” continued Tahnicia. “With the ride season, because our foundation is motorcyclists, we donate to other people’s charity rides as well. We also donate to other families as they reach out to us in need.”
As time moves on, Tahnicia reflects on the person who took her dad’s life and what motivates her to keep going. “You know, that’s just something that is in God’s hands,” she said. “I’m at peace with it. I know that is something he (the suspect) has to deal with. I’m here to do what I have to do. I would love for that person to be brought to justice, but to me, it’s about giving back and supporting those other people who are going through a similar tragedy; just to be there and provide any type of resources.”
Tahnicia is looking forward to 2017, and being able to expand the foundation and include more events in Gordon County. “My dad was born and raised in Calhoun, this is his home. The Phillips family is still here,” she said. “I grew up in Cobb County, that’s where I was raised but this is my dad’s community. This is his family and it’s important for me to give back to this community that he loved so much. That’s why we are here. And if anybody from this community ever needs us, we are here. And we may get to do something more here in Gordon in the future. This is just the beginning.”
“We hope next year to be able to add something else; maybe sponsor some schools here in Gordon or do a scholarship fund in the future,” said Tahnicia.
Sponsors for this year’s event included William Mathews of Calhoun; Home Depot of Calhoun and Store Manager David Macknight, along with Home Depot stores in the metro Atlanta area; Wal-Mart;, Pizza Hut; Kroger; Zaxby’s; Chick-fil-A and Little Caesar’s of Calhoun; various Target stores and Southern Culture Artisan Foods
“We would like to send our heartfelt gratitude to all of our volunteers, friends and family that contributed to the success of this year’s event,” said Tahnicia. “Merry Christmas and we will see everyone next year!”