Bruno Pedreira, Service Chair
Carrera Romanini, Co-Chair
David McIntosh, Strategic Communications
Reagan Bustabad, Student Member
Carlos Lima, Student Intern

Knoxville, TN – December 15, 2024 – The Tennessee Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the prestigious honors society of agriculture, is proud to announce the successful completion of the 2024 Ryan McDonald and Colt Jones Memorial Toy Drive in partnership with the McNabb Center. The toy drive, which took place from November 18 to December 2, 2024, brought together the local community to honor the memories of Ryan McDonald and Colt Jones, two teenagers whose lives were tragically lost due to bullying and school violence.

Through the generous support of donors, the Gamma Sigma Delta chapter raised funds over $650. to purchase new toys for children in need. We collected new, unopened toys for children of all ages. Over 250 toys were donated, making this year’s drive a tremendous success.

This heartfelt initiative was held in memory of Ryan McDonald and Colt Jones, both of whom were 15 years old when they tragically passed away. Ryan lost his life to school violence at Central High School in August 2008, and Colt, deeply affected by years of bullying, took his own life in October 2012. Their stories highlight the importance of mental health awareness and the lasting impact of bullying. The toy drive is hosted by the McNabb Center, East Tennessee’s leading nonprofit provider of mental health and social services, played an instrumental role in this toy drive. The center has long been dedicated to supporting individuals through life’s challenges, offering mental health, substance use, social services, and victim support to over 45,000 people each year. For more information about the McNabb Center, please visit www.mcnabbcenter.org or call 1-800-255-9711.

Gamma Sigma Delta is honored to have participated in this initiative, bringing together members of the university community to give back during the holiday season. Thanks to the generosity of donors, the toy drive not only helped brighten the holidays for families in need but also honored the legacies of Ryan and Colt, fostering a spirit of kindness and remembrance.