For the past seven years, longtime Plant City Elks Lodge member Philip Williams has held a toy drive for community children in need in early December. This year, he and his sons, Jeremy and Justin, along with another longtime member, David Brewington, decided to hold the toy drive at the lodge Dec. 5. Lodge members as well as members of the community dropped off gifts for three days prior to the event and until 10 p.m. the night of the event. Donations included more than 40 new bicycles, and the estimated value of all the gifts was more than $5,000. Philip Williams works with teachers in local schools and finds families in need and makes sure they are the recipients of the gifts. Pictured seated are Jeremy Williams and Kenny Goodwien, Exalted Ruler. Standing are David Brewington and Justin Williams. Philip Williams is not pictured as he was called away for an emergency. The second picture shows the final amount of gifts at the end of the evening. Goodwien volunteered to be at the lodge when people dropped off gifts and to oversee the last night of the event. He and his wife, Tina, stayed afterward to clean up and find storage for the toys.
