Philly dad holds 7th annual bookbag giveaway in memory of daughter who lost rare cancer battle
Philly dad hosts 7th annual bookbag giveaway in honor of daughter taken by cancer
300-400 Philadelphia students will receive a bookbag filled with supplies thanks to a Philly father who is holding his 7th annual bookbag giveaway in honor of his daughter who passed away from cancer. FOX 29's Shawnette Wilson has the touching story.
PHILADELPHIA - "Princess Niyah cookout. Cleaning it up. It is going to look good," said Tony Bell in an Instagram post showing the cleanup of his North Philly neighborhood.
It is for his annual bookbag drive and community day this upcoming weekend.
"Got everything in them. Got pencils, books, rulers, calculators and sharpeners," he also said in a video showing some of the already packed bookbags he purchased for the giveaway.
"We will be giving away about 300 to 500 bookbags that's fully loaded with everything the kids need," said Bell.
FOX 29's Shawnette Wilson talked to Bell about the event which will be held Saturday, August 17 at 27th and Lehigh, where he grew up.
"They get to get their face painted, they get bookbags, they get food, they get fireworks show, they get activities and a whole day they don't have to pay for and they're going to be safe," he said.
Bell started the event seven years ago in honor and memory of his firstborn, his daughter Saniyah known as princess Niyah.
She passed away in August 2017 from a rare cancer called DIPG.
Every year he holds the drive around her birthday, which is August 15th. Niyah was diagnosed at age 8 and died just over a year later. She would have turned 15 on Thursday.
"So this weekend when I see these kids smiling, it's going to make me think my daughter is smiling as well because this is what she would be doing. Running around playing and enjoying herself," he said.
Serving the community also helps him.
"It keeps me smiling and it keeps me going," said Bell.
He says the Pray4PrincessNiyah birthday celebration and bookbag giveaway will be a huge help to families ahead of the new school year.
"My mom had 8 kids, so at the end of the day we all didn't have. So I understand how valuable and important this is going to be to a lot of families," said Bell.