CANTON, Ohio — At Sir Troy’s Toy Kingdom in Canton, a Newcomerstown couple is asking for Stark County residents to support their special holiday donation drive by donating Lego sets in honor of their late son, Jaxon, who died from medical complications last November.
“He loved life, and he was the light of life,” said Bridget Britton, Jaxon's mom. “He was just everything to all of us.”
Britton and her husband, Josh Britton, plan to donate these toys to Akron Children’s Hospital.
“Akron Children’s has told us that Legos are the number one most requested toy donation that they get from children, and it’s one of the least given toys, so we’re excited that this is our sole purpose,” said Bridget Britton.
While this time without their son hasn’t been easy, the couple said they’re trying to make the best of it through ‘Jaxon’s Bricks for Bravery,’ a non-profit they launched in April to remember his favorite toy.
“I can just hear him as we have this Bricks for Bravery telling everybody about it and joking that there’s all these Lego sets at his house that he can’t have,” said Britton.
So far, Josh Britton said they have collected nearly $11,000 and have donated around 1,100 Lego sets, with 400 new sets on the way to Akron Children’s Hospital.
“When things were hard, when things were a struggle and you’re getting an IV that a little kid really doesn’t want to get, a simple toy can add so much joy to them,” said Britton.
There’s even support from local businesses like Sir Troy’s Toy Kingdom in Canton, which allowed the couple to set up a decorated box for people to donate Lego sets to kids with medically complex health situations.
The Lego sets do not have to come from Sir Troy’s Toy Kingdom. But the couple encourages people to shop at their store.
“It’s been just such an encouragement to us as we’ve moved through our grief over the past year,” said Britton.
Now, the Brittons said they’re keeping their son’s memory alive thanks to community support from places like Newcomerstown and Stark County.
“A child and a family who aren’t from around here but hearing messages and support and love from people we’ve never met that means so much to us. More than anybody could possibly ever know,” said Bridget Britton.
The drive ends on Dec. 31, but they’re collecting Lego sets and monetary donations all year. To support, click here. They also have an Amazon Wish List for donations that go to their home.
Each Lego box gets a sticker put on the bottom left corner that shares the nonprofit’s mission. There’s also a QR code that brings people back to their Facebook where people can see how the sets have impacted patients’ stay.
Those stories can be found on the organization’s Facebook page and website. Just follow ‘bricksforbravery’ on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
