The Educational Foundation of Lake County and Jenkins Auto Group had their sixth annual toy collection for homeless students enrolled in Lake County schools.

The toy drive ended Dec. 16, and all four Jenkins dealerships in Leesburg participated!

Steve Tagliente, general manager of Jenkins Hyundai of Leesburg, said the event is simple but powerful.

“We get a lot of foot traffic that comes through,” Tagliente said. Much of that traffic translates into donations, he added, and he and some of the others working at the dealership typically donate as well.

The event started around six years ago when Jenkins Hyundai first began donating vehicles to the school district’s teacher of the year.

The donation became a longstanding partnership with the Educational Foundation of Lake County, and Foundation Director Carman Cullen-Batt pitched the idea of doing a toy drive.

It started without a lot of fanfare.

“We put a basket out front, and hoped for the best,” Tagliente said. The community really began to rally around it as they visited the different Jenkins locations.

This was the biggest year yet with more toys than we can count! Thank you to everyone who donated and for sharing joy this Holiday season.

And a special thank you to Jenkins Auto Group for hosting the toy drive!