Making spirits bright: Metro Vancouver friends organize toy drive for BC Children’s Hospital

Jonathan Yeung/Supplied

Metro Vancouver’s Jonathan “Bear” Yeung needs your help to make his big dreams for Christmas come true.

He isn’t even a teenager yet, but together with his ski-buddy, Landon Brown, he is about to make a big change in the lives of young hospital patients with a new Vancouver toy drive across the city.

“Last Christmas, Landon and I collected toys and tablets for the brave kids at BC Children’s Hospital, which treats our province’s sickest kids,” Bear told Daily Hive by email.

Their efforts did not go unnoticed, and the toy drive was a success.

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“Last year, we learned that because of COVID-19, visitations were limited, so the kids being treated at the hospital felt lonely and isolated,” said Bear. “The truth is kids are very sick every single day.”

“So this year, our goal is to collect as many gifts as possible and have them delivered by Christmas so that they can be given during the holidays and also throughout the year,” said Bear.

Toys and tablets are more than just Christmas goodies; they have a deeper meaning.

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Jonathan Yeung/Supplied

“Toys can help kids cope with boredom while they recover or when they are bravely waiting for their surgeries or treatments,” said Bear, while “tablets help them stay connected with their family and friends and also allow them to watch movies, read ebooks, and do their school work.”

“My parents taught me that dreams are just thoughts and words are just sounds without action. That’s why we took action to work hard to collect as many toys and tablets as we can,” said Bear.

This year, Bear and Landon partnered with the Dilawri Group and All West Insurance, who are opening all their stores from Monday, November 15 to Sunday, November 28 to help collect donations.

Check out their websites for all their locations across Metro Vancouver.

The duo is also supported by Project 604, which is hosting a toy and tablet drop-off on Sunday, November 28 at Trove in Richmond.

“Landon and I learned that it really takes a community to help a community. We truly believe that if we work together, we can all help brighten the lives of many awesome kids who are fighting hard to get better,” said Bear.