A child's toy story

For many years, six-year old Enzo Conda slept peaceful nights with a teddy bear dressed like the popular character in The Nutcracker close to his chest. Enzo regarded the teddy bear as one of his most prized possessions. And it has been four years now since Enzo got the teddy bear from his Ninang. No wonder it has the markings of any old stuffed toy.

This year, however, the story of Enzo’s love for his teddy bear went a notch higher as he learned to let it go — through Jollibee’s MaAga ang Pasko campaign.

The act of giving away the teddy bear did not come easy, admits Enzo. But because he knows that giving it to another child this Christmas will mean so much more, he decided to part with his precious toy. “Because it’s Christmas and there’s another kid who can have him as their favorite toy,” he says.

The story of Enzo was repeated a thousand times over as other children also took an active part in this year’s Jollibee MaAga ang Pasko campaign by being Jolly Toy Scouts. Like Enzo, many students and kids nationwide helped Jollibee collect toys and books to be donated to numerous young beneficiaries this Christmas.

To make the toys more special for its recipients, this year’s MaAga ang Pasko held a cleanup activity with the help of volunteers from partner schools, media, Jollibee employees and other concerned individuals. With this extra effort from volunteers, the toys and books that have been gathered from the nationwide toy and book drive look good as new before they are eventually passed on. Even Enzo’s favorite teddy bear will be cleaned up and made to look like new for its next owner.

Enzo Conda may only be six years old, but the value he has learned goes far beyond his age. And as Jollibee MaAga ang Pasko continues its campaign of gathering toys and books for children especially for the holidays, Jollibee looks forward to inspiring more Enzos, who will gladly give a part of themselves to others this Christmas.