With a passion for community involvement and generosity, East Tennessee’s go-to bar-b-q restaurant, Buddy’s bar-b-q, is excited to announce their holiday toy drive for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. This holiday season, with so many children and their families having to spend their holidays away from home at the hospital, Buddy’s is inspired to bring comfort and joy through this generous and heartfelt initiative.
Now through Friday, December 20, Buddy’s bar-b-q will collect toy donations at 13 select locations throughout East Tennessee, where guests can conveniently drop off their contributions during store hours. Locations include Bearden, Broadway, Oak Ridge, Farragut, Morristown, Athens, Kingston, Maryville, Clinton, Emory Rd/Powell and Lenoir City. Additional locations in South Knoxville (4401 Chapman Hwy) and West Knoxville (8402 Kingston Pike) will also be participating.
Having participated in toy drives for various organizations in the past, Buddy’s has consistently found its staff and guests to be incredibly generous, with toy boxes often overflowing with donations. This year, Buddy’s strives to highlight the high-quality pediatric care East Tennessee Children’s Hospital provides to the community by spreading holiday cheer to patients and their families through this charitable community initiative.
“East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is where we all take our little ones in times of need,” said Laura Luallen, marketing/community relations & project coordinator for Buddy’s bar-b-q. “This toy drive is our way to show appreciation for their consistent diligence in the community, as well as help the children who have to spend their holidays there experience the excitement and joy that every child deserves this time of year.”
Once the toy collection wraps up, Buddy’s will hand over the donations to Santa, who will deliver them to children staying at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital to brighten their holidays. As with past toy drives, Buddy’s has high expectations and is confident that East Tennessee residents will join the beloved bar-b-q restaurant in supporting and celebrating the vital work of East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.
“Buddy’s staff and guests always go above and beyond whenever we host toy drives or ask for donations,” said Mark Lemoncelli, CEO of Buddy’s bar-b-q. “I’m honored to take part in this toy drive for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, and know we’ll do our part in supporting the children that are spending their holidays away from home this year.”
Since 1972, Buddy’s bar-b-q has been a cornerstone of East Tennessee’s community and culinary scene, regularly engaging in fundraisers and events. This year, Buddy’s even created “Bar-b-q for a Cause,” where they distributed free meals to victims of the historical flooding that took place in Tennessee due to Hurricane Helene. Aside from cooking up fresh bar-b-q daily, Buddy’s is proud to offer unparalleled community engagement and generosity for East Tennessee and its residents.
