Jason Futch
reporter2.riverbendnews@gmail.com
With a heart full of emotion, Annita Leonard with the Suwannee County Toys for Tots chapter accepted a donation from the Live Oak Elks Lodge for $2,500 on Saturday, Dec. 14. This marks the second year that the Elks Lodge has supported Leonard’s efforts. Leonard has a special place for children in the community, especially when it comes to having a good Christmas. “My father came and went in and out of our lives, and my mother worked two jobs,” Leonard said. “Sometimes we had, sometimes we didn’t have. I remember when Christmas would come around, and there wasn’t anything. It wasn’t because she was lazy, but because she was doing the best she could with what we had to keep food in our mouths and a roof over our heads.” Leonard said that when she was first approached to become the coordinator for the Suwannee County chapter, she was nervous at first. “When Inga Dwyer from the Columbia County chapter asked me to lead the Suwannee County chapter, the first thing I told her was I got to pray,” Leonard said. “The second thing I told her was I got to talk to my husband.” When Leonard, who is also the current secretary for the Wellborn Community Association, began working with Toys for Tots, she wanted to make sure that she could make a positive impact on children in the community. She reached out to the Elks Lodge, which became a significant supporter of the organization. “I couldn’t have done this without the help of the Elks Lodge,” Leonard said as she fought back tears. Cathy Davis, an officer at Elks Lodge, said that even though this year was tough to raise funds due to the multiple natural disasters that rocked Suwannee County, she made sure that Toys for Tots would be taken care of. “It was tough this year,” Davis said. “But this is a charity that is dear to us, and we appreciate the work that Annita has done to help local children have a good Christmas.” Davis said that last year, the Elks Lodge, through a grant and additional donations from members, was able to help raise over $3,500 for Toys for Tots. This year, the Elks Lodge raised $2,500, $500 more than Leonard expected. When Davis announced the total for 2024, Leonard said, “Thank you so much, it helps more than you can even imagine.” “It’s what we do,” Davis said. One of Leonard’s efforts to help children was to ensure local children with autism had the proper toys and had planned to request a set amount from the Elks Lodge. “When I gave them the number, the Elks told me that was exactly the amount the lodge planned to grant,” Leonard said. “God works in mysterious ways!” Leonard cites several relatives who have autism as the driving force behind helping autistic children through the Toys for Tots program. Leonard said that children who qualify for the program will receive three toys each, and hopes that in the future, the program will be able to provide more toys for children to where they can receive more than three. “Suwannee County is going to grow, and the people here are very generous,” Leonard said. “This is our second year, and we are standing on our own two feet. That says a lot. That’s a big feather in Suwannee County’s hat.” Leonard also thanked the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office and Suwannee County Commissioners Leo Mobley, Franklin White and Travis Land for being supportive of the program. “These people helped open a lot of doors for me,” Leonard said. She also thanked the residents of Suwannee County who helped to donate toys and money for this year. “A toy here and there, a quarter or dollar here and there, it all adds up.”