Nov. 6, 2009
ATLANTA – The Georgia Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Board will hold the ninth-annual Michael Isenhour Toy Drive beginning at the Georgia – Georgia Tech football game Nov. 28. New, unwrapped toys will be collected from fans as they enter the football stadium, or they may be dropped off at the Georgia Tech Athletic Association during business hours.
“This project has become something that the Georgia Tech student-athletes take a lot of pride in and strive to make more successful each year,” said Leah Thomas, Director of Total Person Support Services and advisor to the Georgia Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Board.
The Georgia Tech student-athletes will again join forces with local Marines to collect Toys for Tots for the holidays. Local members of the United States Marine Corps will be on hand to collect the toys with the Georgia Tech student-athletes for each of the collection dates, beginning Nov. 28 and continuing through December.
“We were a little disappointed when the number of toys we collected last year was down from previous years,” added Thomas. “We’re hoping to do a better job this year of getting the word out and reminding fans that we’ll be at each gate collecting toys again this year.”
Over the last eight years, Georgia Tech has collected more than 11,000 toys and over $12,000 that have gone to local kids in time for the holiday. This year, the Georgia Tech Student-Athlete Advisory Board has set high hopes of collecting 2,000 toys, and are asking fans to help achieve this lofty goal in 2009.
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.
Toy Drive Collection Dates for 2009:
Georgia Tech vs. Georgia Football Game, Nov. 28
Georgia Tech vs. Oregon Women’s Basketball/Georgia Tech vs. Arkansas -Pine Bluff Games, Dec. 16
Georgia Tech vs. Florida State Men’s Basketball Game, Dec. 20
