Dec. 4, 2006
ATLANTA – With the final round of donations and toys collected Sunday at the Georgia Tech women’s basketball game, the sixth-annual Michael Isenhour Toy Drive has been deemed a success, Director of the Homer Rice Center for Sports Performance and Advisor for the Georgia Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB) Rob Skinner said Monday morning.
Members of the Georgia Tech athletic teams collected more than $600 Sunday to bring their season total to approximately $6000. The athletes also collected more than 1500 new toys during the five-week period, with proceeds and toys will go to the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots Program.
The Toy Drive began in late October, with members of the United States Marine Corps and student-athletes collecting more than $3000 and over 1,000 toys from fans attending Georgia Tech’s homecoming game against Miami, and it continued with the Yellow Jackets’ basketball game against Big Ten opponent Penn State, where fans donated almost $3000 to the cause.
“Initially, we were worried about the turnout this season, since the initial Toy Drive date was so early this year, but our fans rose to the challenge and have helped us give several children in our area a wonderful Christmas,” said Georgia Tech SAAB president Kristina Hull.
“We couldn’t have done this without the assistance of the U.S. Marine Corps, who joined us at all three events and have committed to placing these toys and this money back into the Atlanta community,” added Skinner.
In the past six years, Georgia Tech has collected more than 10,000 toys that have gone to local kids in time for the holiday.
The Toy Drive was the brainchild of former Georgia Tech basketball player Michael Isenhour in an effort to help 9/11 families, and began in 2001 as Isenhour was battling leukemia. The Georgia Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Board renamed it the Michael Isenhour Toy Drive to create an ongoing legacy to their fellow student-athlete, who lost his battle with cancer in 2002.
