A few years ago Patricia Jo Jones and Kimesha Worthy Bonner, teachers at Della Davidson Elementary School, started an exciting tradition in 2016: the Beanie Baby drive. Not long after this tradition started, Jones passed away in 2022. Ever since, Bonner has been continuing her legacy through the Beanie Baby drive.
“This tradition meant so much to me and Patricia,” Bonner said. “To know that this is a tradition that we both started together, and I have the power to keep it going, makes this tradition one of the most special things in my life.”
The Beanie Baby drive continues not only as a fun present for the kids, but a beautiful reminder of the bond between Bonner and Jones. In December of 2022 Bonner chose to continue the tradition in remembrance of her.
“I realized that this would be the first year that I would be giving students Beanie Babies without her,” Bonner said. “It was very tough that year without her, but that made me want to continue the tradition in remembrance of her. It was a special thing that she and I loved to do, and she meant so much to me.”
Bonner knew that if Jones were here today she would still be handing out the Beanie Babies to the students, so there was no question about keeping this tradition alive. This tradition started in April of 2016 when Jones and her husband started attending auctions in Water Valley.
“It is actually a pretty funny story about how the tradition started,” Bonner said. “She began collecting the Beanie Babies from the auctions because she loved them, and soon she realized she had too many. She approached me with the idea of just gifting them to the students just that year. But, we both noticed how excited the students were from just receiving a Beanie Baby, so we decided to make it an annual thing using our own funds.”
What started as a simple gift, turned into a legacy that continues to grow each year. A Beanie Baby drive is held each year during the Christmas season and then passed out in class.
“Every year, during our class Christmas party, I share Patricia’s story and I have each student come up and choose their own Beanie Baby,” Bonner said. “It is an even more memorable time if Harvey, her husband, or Ken, her son, comes to share during this time.”
This tradition brings the community together all while remembering Jones. To Bonner, it is more than passing out Beanie Babies to her students, its a reminder of their relationship and a tradition they started together.
“When Patricia and I were partners, the Beanie Babies did not hold any significance other than us wanting to give our students something special,” Bonner said. “After her passing, the Beanie Babies took on a special meaning. Anytime I look at the beanie babies, I think of her and her love for them and our love for each other. So every time I look at the Beanie Babies, to me they resemble the love that Patricia and I had for each other and our students and how we were more than partners. We were family.”
