By Haley Mitchell Godwin

In a heartwarming tribute to the memory of the late Correy Bozeman, whose courageous battle with cancer touched the hearts of many, his parents, Mathew and Meredith Bozeman, organized a Christmas toy drive as a way to honor their son’s memory and bring joy to other children.

The Bozeman family, still grappling with the raw grief of losing Correy, decided to channel their pain into something positive for the community. Recognizing the impact that such a loss can have on a family, especially during the holiday season, they chose to focus on spreading happiness and creating smiles for other children.

Their mission to keep Correy’s spirit alive through giving back resonated profoundly within the community, resulting in an outpouring of support that greatly exceeded their expectations.

“We wanted to turn our grief into something meaningful, and the idea of a Christmas toy drive felt like a beautiful way to remember Correy,” said Meredith. “There were so many generous donations that made this happen and it turned into something bigger than we could have ever imagined. I cannot wait to see the smiles on the kid’s faces at Children’s of Alabama. I know Correy would have loved this!”

The Bozemans encouraged contributors to select toys that mirrored Correy’s interests, such as Legos, Transformers and Baby Yoda items. In addition to physical donations, monetary contributions were graciously accepted, with every cent of the approximately $1,500.00 raised used to purchase additional toys.

The toys will soon be handed over to the palliative care team at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham, ensuring that moments of joy will continue to brighten the days of young patients throughout the year.

Looking ahead, Mathew shared the family’s plans to make the toy drive an annual event.

“We are planning to do the drive every year from now on,” Mathew said. “We hope to, within the next few months, create a non-profit in Correy’s name. This way, his legacy can live on through the joy we bring to other children in need.”