Boy donates 500 birthday presents to Toys for Tots

Chase Branscum of Owasso, Oklahoma, decided to turn his 8th birthday party into a community affair. Instead of accepting birthday gifts, the young boy asked his party guests to bring toys for Toys for Tots, an organization that provides Christmas gifts to local families in need.

The local chapter of the charity plans to give gifts to around 5,000 children this holiday season.

"I already have toys and other kids don't," Chase told FOX23 of his choice to forego birthday gifts.

"They don't have toys and when they have anything for Christmas they can't play and they can't have fun."

More than 100 people showed up at his birthday party, held at the Rejoice Church North Campus Gymnasium in Owasso, Oklahoma. The guests donated about 500 gifts to the toy drive.

When Danny Stockton, owner of Red Dot Laser Tag, heard about Chase's charitable birthday party, he got involved. Children at the event got to play laser tag, eat snacks and play games.

Chase's mother, Tiffany Rowe, told Fox23 she was extremely proud of her eight-year-old son.

"He has a wonderful heart," Rowe said. "You want to raise your child to be generous and to think of someone other than themselves. Him doing this was a gift to me."