Jelly Roll promised 'biggest' Nashville toy drive. This weekend, he delivered a semi full of toys.
Nashville native and CMA Awards' Best New Artist of 2023, Jelly Roll, has once again given back to the city that raised him.
On Saturday, the country music star donated an entire semitruck full of with toys to the The Last Minute Toy Store which donates toys to Middle Tennessee children during the holiday season. The toy drive is an annual partnership with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office.
In a Facebook post, Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall thanked Jelly Roll and said he is changing both lives and music.
"I met Jelly Roll over a year ago at the facility he was once housed. Before CMA/Grammy awards and much of his success said he wanted to give back. Today a truck loaded with toys showed up at the The Last Minute Toy Store," he said. "You are changing music and lives. Thank you!"
Another post shared by The Last Minute Toy Store also praised the performer for his generous donation.
"The The Last Minute Toy Store needed some gifts for 7,675 kids," said the post. "Jelly Roll sent over a TRACTOR TRAILER... and DUNKED it.
Jelly Roll announced the toy drive back in November, calling it the "biggest partnered toy drive in Nashville's history."
Why Jelly Roll gives back
The desire to give back has been a part of Jason "Jelly Roll" DeFord since he was a child. In July he made a dying woman's wish a reality and in October he offered to post bail for a fan.
Before skyrocketing to fame, Jelly Roll served time time in his teens and 20s for aggravated robbery and possession with intent to sell charges, respectively.
"Nashville is a town that people come and take from ... They come and they party. They make the best memory of their life right here on Broadway ... They come and they chase their dreams. They join the medical field. They become big musicians in the music industry and make millions of dollars. But they never give back," said DeFord during a press conference in 2022. "As a local kid, I felt like it was important to start addressing the problem hands-on, at a community level."
In November of 2022, he committed roughly $250,000 to programs aiding incarcerated and underserved youth in Nashville. The donation also aimed to fund five $10,000 scholarships for graduating seniors in Davidson County, as well as holiday season food and toy drives organized by Impact Youth Outreach.
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter at @_leyvadiana
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Jelly Roll donates a semitruck full of toys to Nashville toy drive