OCC Students' Final 'Exam' Collects 200 Toys For Needy Kids

by Karen Wall

While some college students were busy cramming for final exams or writing that 20-page paper they’d put off to the last minute, the students in Jennifer Evans’ Conference, Conventions and Special Events class were tackling a project that gives new meaning to a final exam.

The class was required to host a special event as its final project for the semester. Evans, a lecturer of Marketing, Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism said the students decided to host a toy drive to benefit Brandon’s Elves, a nonprofit organization that honors the memory of 6-year-old Brandon Holt, who was shot and killed in 2013 by a neighbor child with a gun that was not secured in that child’s home. Then they were hosting a gift organization party after the collection.

The mission of Brandon’s Elves is to collect gifts for the needy over for the holiday season; the students set a goal of collecting 50 gifts, Evans said.

Christine Holt, Brandon’s mother and the executive director of Brandon’s Elves, spoke to the class, which includes Brandon’s half-sister, Ocean County College officials said.

Then the students -- Grace Cairns and Mark Wright of Jackson; Gabby Gallotta of Brick; Breanna Betts and Jaci Bell of Manchester; Taylor Marcine of Beachwood; Jessica Naia of Lacey; Amanda Pepe of Bayville; Kayla Miller of New Egypt; Gianna Storino, Marissa Citta and Michael Rosario of Toms River -- executed the toy drive.

They placed six collection boxes around OCC’s main campus during November and December. They visited other classrooms and passed around collection jars for spare change donations to purchase gifts. And three students received permission from their employers to place collection boxes at their places of employment, which included a church, a retail outlet and the YMCA, Evans said.

The result? The students collected 197 gifts and $70 in gift cards,” Evans said.

“ Ocean County College students were truly generous and often donated much more than just their spare change,” she said, and faculty and staff contributed as well.

“My students set the bar high for future classes,” she said.

After the month-long toy drive, the next portion of the assignment was to host a gift organization party in order to sort and divide the gifts by age. The students hosted the event on Tuesday at the college’s Faculty Center, located in the Gateway Building.

“They organized a buffet, beverages, and décor; and invited faculty and fellow students. Their event was flawless,” Evans said.

“The students used the skills they learned during the semester to host a truly amazing event, which also benefited our local community. This ended up being much more than a final assignment as their enthusiasm and passion for this project brought a tear of joy to everyone’s eye,” Evans said. “It was amazing. The student feedback was phenomenal.”

(PHOTOS, COURTESY OF OCEAN COUNTY COLLEGE: 1. A little bear, wearing an Ocean County College T-shirt, quietly waits to find a new home with a deserving child. It was among more than 200 toys that will be distributed by Brandon’s Elves. 2. Students in Ocean County College’s “Conferences, Conventions, and Special Events” class pose for a photo during the gift organization party. (First Row L to R) Grace Cairns, Jackson; Gabby Gallotta, Brick; Breanna Betts, Manchester; and Mark Wright, Jackson. (Second Row) Taylor Marcine, Beachwood; OCC Instructor Jennifer Evans, Sea Isle City; Jaci Bell, Manchester; Jessica Naia, Lacey; Amanda Pepe, Bayville; Kayla Miller, New Egypt; Gianna Storino, Toms River; and Michael Rosario Toms River. (Third Row) Marissa Citta, Toms River.)