Florida A&M University News December 2, 2015 FAMU Teams Up with Mayor Andrew Gillum, Bethel AME, Tallahassee Housing Authority for Annual Toy Drive Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) is spreading the spirit of love and charity with its annual Holiday Toy Drive titled, "FAMU Holiday Festival: A Celebration of Giving to Our Community." The event will be held Friday, Dec. 4, at 6:30 p.m. in the University's Grand Ballroom, located at 1925 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Alumni, students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to come out and celebrate the holiday season while donating new, unwrapped gifts for children of all ages. Advance donations are being accepted at the Office of Communications, located in Lee Hall at 1601 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Suite 200. "This year's drive has special significance, as it celebrates FAMU's core mission, which includes service to our community and providing solutions to the needs of our citizens," said Vernon Bryant, special events coordinator for the University. "The event will truly embody the holidays as we celebrate with the tastes, sights, and sounds of the season, and unite as a community to spread joy to those who need it most. In addition, various campus and community organizations will come together to provide special holiday performances." In recent years, the annual toy drive served children of incarcerated individuals. This year, FAMU President Elmira Mangum, Ph.D., and Student Body President Tonnette Graham have teamed up with FAMU alumni and community leaders such as Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and his wife, R. Jai; Ahmad Favors of the Tallahassee Housing Authority; and Darryl Jones of the Bethel AME Community Development Corporation to distribute gifts to all children of the Springfield and Orange Avenue public housing facilities. Jones emphasized that Ahmad Favors and the Gillum family readily offered their support in merging their individual toy drives with the University's annual event to "cast a larger net." "This event shows that the University cares about the people that live in its vicinity. If not for FAMU's willingness, a lot of children would not be served," Jones said. "Last year, we were only able to give toys to children in the Springfield Apartments." Dressed as elves, community leaders and FAMU volunteers will distribute gifts to local children, based on a list provided by the Tallahassee Housing Authority. Bikes will also be donated, and teenagers will receive gift cards. Members of the Delta Kappa Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; the Leon County Chapter of The Charmettes, Inc.; the Tallahassee Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; Tallahassee Links, Inc.; and other community organizations will add to the efforts by providing meals and adopting families to ensure a joyous holiday season for local families. "Through this drive, we are making sure that we bring great joy and happiness to a lot of families in the community. We are grateful for FAMU in spearheading these efforts," Jones said. For more information about the toy drive, contact Vernon Bryant at vernon.bryant@famu.edu or 850-599-3413. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 Like us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance/ 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.