When Ziply Fiber launched in Kirkland, Washington, 2020, the new internet service provider faced some big challenges: no one knew who they were, many employees didn't know each other yet, and the Covid-19 pandemic had just hit—with Kirkland being the site of first major outbreak in America.
"There were so many people in need," Community Development Senior Manager Courtney Bowman says. "We wanted to authentically engage the community beyond providing fast internet, and we wanted to build employee culture."
For the first two years, the company participated in food drives around their four-state footprint. In 2022, they switched to a toy drive to collect holiday gifts for kids in need.
"We were excited, because it was giving back more than food drives and making it a special season for children and families," Courtney says.
Ziply Fiber started out by partnering with four toy drives: two in Oregon, one in Western Washington and one in the Coeur d'Alene area of Idaho. These involved early morning media appearances, a toy surprise for a gymnasium full of children and a toy dash through a Fred Meyer store. And for one week, a portion of all Ziply Fiber internet installations went toward the toy drives to purchase more gifts for local kids.
That was the beginning of the toy drive legacy, which has grown each year. Four toy drives became 11, with partnerships forming in Billings, MT, and Yakima, Olympia and Snohomish, WA. A $10,000 company match grew to $20,000. The goal of collecting 1,500 toys expanded to 15 vehicles full of toys.
"Each year we want to get more engaged and give back more," Courtney says.
Nicole Barnett, a Community Development Manager in Coeur d'Alene, worked on the first toy drive in 2022 in North Idaho in partnership with Toys for Tots. She witnessed a feat of volunteer strength in her community.
"Countless volunteers work tirelessly from morning to night, seven days a week for three weeks straight, to distribute bags of gifts to thousands of local children," she says.
It inspired her to get her local colleagues involved.
"It's been amazing to see the number of kiddos supported grow each year and our own support grow right along with it," she says. "From volunteering our time to collecting toys at events, when we each do a little more every year, it all adds up to a big impact for local families."
One of the best parts of working on the toy drive for Beaverton, OR-based Community Development Manager Kevin Guillen is getting letters from children who receive toys during the school surprise. "It's touching and special and helps drive the momentum each year," he says.
For instance, there's Elie who got the unicorn; Owen, who loves his Hot Wheels; and Nakira, who received an Elsa doll—but she has to hide it from her sister, who lost the doll's shoes. "I play with it at my house and I love it so much," she writes neatly in pencil on blue-lined paper.
The KGW Great Toy Drive in the Portland area is the biggest of the toy drives. Kevin appeared on KGW's morning show and bolted through Fred Meyer this year to grab hundreds of dollars' worth of toys. He loves the experience and how it connects him to his own community.
"The toy drive has a ripple effect throughout the year," Kevin says. "When I'm out in the community and we talk about the toy drive, everyone recognizes it. They know we have an authentic connection to the community. It's something they can count on."
Learn more about the toy drives and find the one closest to you to donate and get involved at https://ziplyfiber.com/givingback.
