ORLANDO, Fla. – Every family has their own holiday traditions. For the Pentz family, that includes a yearly trip to the children’s hospital.
But it’s for a good cause.
Fifteen-year-old Teddy Pentz is giving Santa a run for his money.
Teddy, with help from his mom, Krista, has been collecting new toys, games and craft kits, then donating them to the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.
A few weeks before Christmas, the kitchen table in the family’s Eustis home overflows with Barbie dolls, Legos, Hot Wheels and dozens of other brands.
“Everything a kid could want,” said Teddy Pentz as he looked over the lot. “I’m just grateful to the community.”
The project, called “Teddy’s Giant Heart,” started during the pandemic.
When Teddy couldn’t have friends visit for his birthday, his mom put the word out on social media for friends and neighbors to send cards. Hundreds of them showed up and many had gift cards inside.
“I saw the big box of cards and donations, and I decided to use that to donate to first responders and leave big tips for waiters and waitresses,” Teddy remembers. “It kind of turned into this big yearly gifting thing.”
The next year, Teddy turned his attention to the kids staying in the hospital at Christmas time.
“Four years later, here we are with a house full of toys ready for Arnold Palmer (hospital),” Krista Pentz said. “I think Teddy bought 30 toys that first year with his own money. (We) dropped them off and instantly realized we wanted to do this again. It feels good.”
This year, he collected close to 300 toys, thanks to the followers of the Teddy’s Giant Heart page on Facebook.
News 6 was there as he dropped them off at Arnold Palmer Hospital.
Jay Brock, events manager for the hospital, helped unload the boxes.
“Teddy came through with a huge holiday donation,” Brock said. “When you see young people working in that way, it really is amazing. Teddy is a great example of what we all want our young people to be like.”
Brock said the gifts help fill a huge need this time of year.
“It can be scary and lonely here this time of year. If a family has other kids and things going on, both mom and dad might not be able to be here all the time. Their siblings may not be able to be with them. Having these toys for the families just makes it a lot easier.”
Brock said elves will pack everything up in sacks and they’ll go out Christmas morning while everyone is sleeping.
“It’s amazing. It just feels great when you do something for kids who can’t go home for the holidays,” Teddy said after wheeling three big carts full of toys into the hospital. “We’re planning on doing it again next year, maybe even bigger.”
The window for donating is closed for this year, but Pentz asks everyone to follow the Teddy’s Giant Heart Project Facebook page to keep up with all of Teddy’s philanthropy projects.