Johnia Berry Memorial Toy Drive
Give hope, joy, and a toy!
November 4-December 3, 2022
Toys for infants to age 14 may be dropped off at Food City locations and at the Tennessee High School office.
The holiday season is approaching, and we would like to encourage you to donate new, unwrapped toys for children ages infant to 14 to the Johnia Berry Memorial Toy Drive. The toy drive is in memory of 2001 Tennessee High School graduate Johnia Berry, whose goal was to devote her life to working with children.
The THS Civinettes and BTCS Family Resource Center help coordinate the effort for BTCS through fundraising, promotions, and other volunteer efforts. All toys donated in Bristol are given to children in Bristol.
The Johnia Berry Memorial Toy Drive is special to the Bristol Tennessee City Schools’ community because Johnia was one of our own. She attended Holston View Elementary School, Vance Middle School, and was a proud graduate of Bristol Tennessee High School. Johnia was also a graduate of East Tennessee State University and was preparing to enter post-graduate studies at the University of Tennessee Knoxville when she was the victim of a brutal murder on December 6, 2004. Her family has chosen to honor her memory and her love for children with the annual northeast Tennessee toy drive sponsored by NewsChannel 11, Food City, and Pharoahs Car Clubs of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
Bristol Tennessee City Schools’ Family Resource Center is honored to be designated by the Berry family as one of the children’s organizations served by the Johnia Berry Memorial Toy Drive. Economically-disadvantaged BTCS students grades preschool through 8 who have not qualified for other charitable holiday initiatives may be eligible recipients of items collected during the annual holiday effort.
Parents/guardians of economically-disadvantaged students in need of holiday assistance should contact their child’s elementary or Tennessee Middle School counselor by December 3 of each year to express the need for their child to be served. Because all items are collected by community donation, students are served as donations allow.