The holiday season is often called the season of giving, and this year one little boy is doing his best to help others with his very own spirit of giving. For the past three years, Elijah and his mother, Christina DiGiulio, have gone to Recruiting Substation Raleigh and donated to the Toys for Tots program.
In keeping with his tradition, Elijah met with U.S. Marine Sgt. Joshua Roberson, a canvassing recruiter with Recruiting Substation Raleigh, Recruiting Station Raleigh who was also joined by Santa Claus to receive Elijah’s donations for Toys for Tots in Raleigh, North Carolina on December 16, 2020.
Elijah, from Clayton, NC, is a 7-year-old autistic child who runs with a special need running team called Ainsley's Angels of America. Their mission is to give those with special needs the ability to participate in runs of all sizes, from 5k to ultra and Ragnar marathons.
Elijah and his mother team up each holiday season to raise money for the Toys for Tots toy drive, and this year was Elijah's biggest haul yet. This year Elijah brought in over $4,000 in donations, which doubled the donation value of last year. With a SUV full of toys, Elijah worked with the Marines to set up a day to exchange the donations.
Before bringing the gifts inside, Elijah got the chance to meet with Santa Claus and pass on a few letters written by Eli and his friends. Along with the letters, Eli gave him a sweatshirt from his local running group. Afterward, the Marines helped Eli and Santa bring the donations into the recruiting station.