Alpharetta Teen Uses Birthday To Collect 700+ Toys For Children

ALPHARETTA, GA — One Alpharetta teen is already in the giving mood this holiday season, having decided to dedicate his birthday to helping other children.

When Jaden Young was 9 years old, his friend and cousin, Kaylin Kares, died after a car crash at age 15. She would volunteer at a food pantry on her birthdays, and she inspired Young — now 17 — to want to do something similar. He came up with "Jaden's Hoops for Homeless Birthday Bash" to spread awareness of homelessness.

He turned it into a party and asked for family and friends to bring donations to his birthday party rather than gifts for him. He set a goal of being able to stuff at least 400 stockings for Family Promise of Forsyth, but he far surpassed it this year.

On Sunday, Young held his annual event at his school, Valor Christian Academy in Alpharetta, and gathered enough donations to stuff more than 700 stockings for families. That is more than enough for the 650 families that Family Promise said it is serving this year.

"Every year it just keeps getting bigger and better, and it's kind of amazing to me," Young told Fox5.

Items sought included baby bottles, toy cars, Barbie dolls, makeup kits, gift cards, arts and crafts, hand warmers, and more. To find out more about Family Promise, visit online.