CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Toys of all kinds were placed into boxes, each one with a special meaning.
“This is like the biggest event for the foundation all year,” said Avantika Johri, President of the Sassy Massey Smiles Club at Southern Lehigh High School.
It is the Sassy Massey Winter Wonderland at DeSales University. A night of fun with games, inflatables, music and dancing that helps others while carrying on the legacy of Jillian Massey from Coopersburg.
Massey lost her battle with cancer in 2017 at five years old.
Johri was the Massey’s neighbor.
“At only five years old, she had a heart of gold. And she really just wanted to bring joy to everyone, especially kids,” said Johri.
Each person who comes to the event brings a toy and then it’s donated to children in the hospital.
“It’s all love,” said Janelle Massey, Jillian’s mother. “It’s a beautiful thing that Jillian put in place with picking all these people here on Earth to carry out her legacy,” said Massey.
The Sassy Massey Winter Wonderland continues to grow each year.
“I feel a piece in her in each of these toys that we deliver and the money that we raise from events like this helps us to continue year-round smiles,” said Massey.
Bringing out more smiles.
“It takes a village to continue to honor Jillian’s wish and deliver miles to smiles and be able to just provide more and more toys in all of these hospitals. It just fills our hearts with joy and to see it grow, really means a lot,” said Massey.