- The 10th Annual Daniel Cook Memorial Toy and Gift Drive
- Saturday December 2nd, drop off new toys, gift cards, or cash donations for KSD students in need
- Visit Daniel Robert Cook's Memorial page for more information
RELATED | Treasure Valley boy killed in bus crash remembered through acts of kindness
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
It’s been 10 years since the devastating death of Daniel Cook, an 11-year-old boy from Kuna who was known for helping others.
I’m Allie Triepke, your Kuna neighborhood reporter, sharing with you how his family is keeping his memory alive.
“This is more about making Christmas morning, Christmas morning, for kids.”
Christmas morning 2013... was a heartbreaking time for Rob Cook and his family. His son Daniel died just weeks earlier when a dump truck hit his school bus in Kuna. The crash claimed the sixth grader's life and injured four other students.
"This is Daniel's heart, and maybe why Daniel lost his life. When he saw that the dump truck was going to hit the bus, he went over his seat to protect a young girl sitting in front of him. And that's his heart, that kid gave his life."
After the accident... Daniel's family organized a community toy drive in his honor. This will be their 10th year.
"We are very humble, and we are very grateful. We have the mindset that if we even just get one toy, to help one child, it's a success.”
Why a toy drive? Since the bus crash happened in early December, the family already had Daniel's Christmas gifts.. so Daniel's mom decided to donate what would have been Daniel's gifts, to local kids in need.
"In her grief and love for him, she came up with the idea that he would want other kids to have this.”
And as for who will unwrap these toys on Christmas morning…
"These donations go to the Kuna School District, their social workers know the needs of families that are within the school district. So toy, gift cards, and they take cash donations.”
Even though the last decade without Daniel physically here, the Cook family knows Daniel's memory is still alive in the Treasure Valley community.
"You know we just heard story after story of just how good he was, and it's got me to the point that one of my favorite sayings is, 'When I grow up, I want to be like my son'."
