LEESBURG — On Sunday, kids in Leesburg’s Carver Heights neighborhood got an early Christmas surprise.
Small businesses hosted the inaugural “It Takes A Village” toy giveaway.
Every child who attended received a gift, which included bluetooth speakers, ring lights, paw patrol items, Nerf blasters and more. Orlando Chef Todo Pollo Pai also provided lunch for around 260 guests.
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Deonte Harris, co-owner of AllBrilliantMinds E&E, was looking for a way to give back to his community this Christmas but he wasn’t involved with any of the major organizations that hold campaigns this time of the year. So he decided to grab his friends and family and create his own, feeling that there was no reason small businesses couldn’t band together to create something special for local kids.
“You see large organizations and churches doing things like this and I just felt like there were some areas that need a little bit more,” Harris said. “There’s something special about everyday business owners doing something in their own merit just to help give back.”
AllBrilliantMinds co-owners Jon Christian, Roy Figueroa, Joshua Garcia and Keno Rice began collecting toys and raising money to hold the toy giveaway at Berry Park, which holds…