Leonard Phillips Foundation gives back to local Boys & Girls Club members for Christmas season
Around 20 local children received a free meal, special time with Santa Claus and got to shop for toys at this year’s Holiday Toy Drive at the Boys & Girls Club of Gordon County, which is hosted by the Leonard Phillips Foundation.
Family, friends and volunteers of the annual event all agreed that this past Saturday’s event was the best one yet.
“It’s been great,” said Tahnicia Phillips, daughter of the late Leonard Phillips. “The kids had a lot of fun and were all smiles while visiting Santa. They got to choose from a lot of toys that were donated. It was a wonderful event this year.”
The family of Leonard Phillips, who born and raised in Calhoun, began the annual toy drive five 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 ArguetaAleman, was intoxicated, according to Cobb County Police. ArguetaAleman 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, daughter Tahnicia and son Marc, decided to channel their grief into something positive.
“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, in addition to eating, visiting with Santa and choosing toys, the 20 local children got to make stockings, painted canvas artwork, made ornaments and snow globes.
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), from working with the kids throughout the year, knows who could use the support. So this takes the stress off those families.”
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.”
As a matter of fact, preparations are already underway for 2018. “We are gearing up for next year in anticipation of the 10 year anniversary of my dad’s passing,” said Tahnicia.
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 Backto- 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 housingthe 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 In addition to enjoying a meal and visiting with Santa, the kids got to make different crafts, including artwork, stockings, ornaments, and water globes (above). reach out to us in need.”
Tahnicia is looking forward to 2018, 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.”
Sponsors for this year’s event included William Mathews of Calhoun; Southern Culture Artisan Foods; Atlanta Title Pawn; Home Depot Stores in the metro Atlanta area; Pizza Hut, Kroger, Zaxbys, Chick- fil- A and Little Caesar’s of Calhoun; Target Stores; Elle Jay Enterprises and Soufside Care of Atlanta.
“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!”