Boy is determined to collect toys for children in Puerto Rico

Third-grade student wants you to join his effort to help Puerto Rican kids

WOODLAND PARK, NJ – Eight-year-old Jayden Perez told his mom that he was worried about the children who were not going to get toys in Puerto Rico during this Christmas and Three Kings' Day holidays. 

The third-grade student from New Jersey told his mom he wanted to start a toy drive. They used social media to promote the event and collected about 1,000 toys on their first days. The donations keep on coming in. 

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"He has such a great heart," Jayden's mom, Ana Rosado, said during an interview with ABC News. "I know that my son is doing good out there."

A man from Pennsylvania donated a trailer of toys from his community, and a shipping company offered to deliver the toys to Puerto Rico. Perez and his mom are getting ready to travel to the island Jan. 4 to celebrate Three Kings' Day at an orphanage.

Rosado set up a GoFundMe account for anyone interested in contributing to his effort. 

Thank you to this Awesome person Joe Percoco and his wife from Hillsburgh NJ who stopped by with toy donations for the children of PR. ❤️🇵🇷🇵🇷Thank You!!!!!

Posted by Ana Rosado on Sunday, December 10, 2017

Hello my FB family and friends. Jayden and I will be doing a Toy Drive this Sunday at our home from 10:00 am till 5:00pm. I’m asking if you can please donate a toy so we can send to the children in Puerto Rico whom are still going through a difficult time. Many have lost there homes, values, Jobs, Etc. As Christmas approaches it can be very depressing especially on the children. We would like to bring some Joy and hapiness during the holidays season and make a difference in there lives. Please help donate a toy or if can’t buy a toy, a small donation in my go fund me account will help. All proceeds will go towards the toys. Jayden and I will buy all the toys. If you can’t drop it off, I’ll drive to you. Any thing would help. It is greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much from Jayden and I. God Bless ❤️

Posted by Ana Rosado on Monday, November 27, 2017

About the Authors:

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.