Hannah’s Hope toy drive helps 550 local kids

For five straight years, a Corbin toy drive has given hope to needy children in the tri-county area at Christmas time. Now, organizers say a local eight-year-old girl, who is battling a debilitating bone disorder, has become the public face of the event since she has inspired all involved.

Hannah Conway suffers from a congenital disease the causes her to grow extra bones in her joints and muscles. The energetic second grader is luckier than most with the disease. She can walk and run and generally enjoys life, though unable to move her neck or raise her arms above her head. On Saturday, at New Hope Ministries Church of God in north Corbin, she was first in line to hand out toys to children from poor family all across the area.

“It makes me feel good,” Conway said, while handing out toys for the approximately 550 children who benefited from the event. “I want everyone to have a good Christmas.”

Karen Davis, a member of the church and principal organizer of the toy drive, said they decided to name it Hannah’s Hope Christmas Toy Give Away in the girl’s honor.

“Hannah is just a very special little girl,” Davis said. “Everybody she knows she has touched their life. We feel today is another part of that.”

Davis, a regional manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, said her company encourages philanthropy and volunteerism among employees in the areas where they do business. As part of a special committee formed by the company to encourage such efforts was born the Christmas Toy Give Away. The first year, it was simply to help a family that had moved to the area from California – their children had no winter clothes and no toys for Christmas. The next year, it served about 150 kids and has grown each your to help 550 in 2008. It was formerly held at the Helping Hands Food Pantry, but moved to New Hope Ministries this year.

“The good Lord has put it on our hearts to reach out to as many kids as we can,” Davis said. “It just keeps getting bigger every year.”

Each of the toys is hand selected by volunteers for quality and desirability. Davis said an army of toy drive shoppers descend on retail stores in a 100-mile radius to get the best deals and secure the most toys possible. Even though toy drive volunteers had about $6,000 less this year to purchase toys with than in 2007, more toys were bought.

“The people we approached at the stores made sure they we could get good discounts on toys,” Davis said. “They really work with us, so that helps.”

Davis said the effort also serves as a way to get families interested in the church.

Hannah’s mother, Sharon Davis, said both she and her daughter are honored that the toy drive was renamed and were glad to be a part of it Saturday.

“Hannah just loves helping people. She’s really into that,” Davis said. “She just likes to give to other people and I think that’s the largest reason it was named after her. She wants to make other people happy.”