By Jennifer Scott - Photo Courtesy of M. Roberts Digital
This holiday season, Skeeter Boats took its annual Boat Load of Toys initiative to the next level. In partnership with JJO Charities and M. Roberts Digital, Skeeter Boats donated to JJO’s annual holiday toy drive after the community’s highly anticipated parade on Thursday.
“The holiday season is about giving back, and we’re honored to team up with JJO Charities for this meaningful event,” said John Clark, General Manager for Skeeter Boats, in a press release. “Every year Skeeter Owners fill our Boat Load of Toys during our annual Owners Tournament and seeing our loyal Skeeter owners and our community come together to support children in need is truly inspiring.”
For 30 years, the annual Skeeter Owners Tournament is held at Lake Fork for exclusive Skeeter boat owners and fishing enthusiasts. The tournament provides an opportunity for nearly 2,000 competitors to participate in the Boatload of Toys where they donate a toy into a boat and then get a ticket for a drawing of a new Yamaha four-wheeler. They filled up nearly three crates full of toys.
“This is something that every year has gotten bigger and bigger and bigger,” said Chris Brown, Brand Marketing Manager of Skeeter Boats. “This has nothing to do with Skeeter — this is all our Skeeter owners. That’s what this is about and what they do for our community and for kids in need. It’s an absolutely awesome, awesome deal that … it’s hard to beat.”
After the toys are collected, Skeeter Boats determine where the literal boatload of toys will be donated somewhere local. This year, they chose JJO Charities, a nonprofit that focuses on supporting children in need, especially during the holidays.
“I was truly amazed at the generosity of Skeeter Boats in Kilgore and their amazing donation of a boatload of toys,” said Jimmy Olson of JJO Charities. “I was literally blown away when I heard the news.”
JJO Charities kicked off its annual toy drive a day early to accommodate this special donation, ensuring these toys will make their way to families and children in need just in time for the holidays.
“So many children this year are in need of a Merry Christmas or the holiday they choose to celebrate,” Olson said. “And Santa is also thankful to Skeeter Boats for their huge donation that will bring so many smiles this holiday.”
Olson joined the parade by riding aboard a Skeeter boat to spread holiday cheer to the community, something he said he looked forward to sharing with his youngest daughter Elayna.
“It’s been great to work with (Olson) on this, the causes that he’s involved with for the donations is incredible,” Brown said. “Having him in the boat during the parade was great.”
Skeeter Boats was impressed with the Rose City Christmas Parade.
“The parade was, to me, incredible,” Brown said. “The number of people that were downtown Tyler, the drone show there at the end that we saw driving back was pretty neat.”
After the parade, Skeeter Boats delivered the ‘boatload’ of toys to the toy drive at Walmart, located at 6801 S. Broadway Avenue.
“It’s not about, not about Skeeter or the boat,” Brown said. “It’s about what our owners do for these causes at the end of every year, around the holidays, giving back to the communities and being able to provide the number of toys. This is the spirit of giving and this is what Christmas is about.”
