Darien Depot Youth Center hosted a toy drive for underprivileged kids in Bridgeport in honor of Henry Farmer, a 16-year-old Darien hockey player who died suddenly from medical complications in 2022.

The first Henry L. Farmer, V Charitable Foundation toy drive, in conjunction with the Darien Depot, collected nearly 500 toys in just a few days.

"We didn’t expect any specific number, but this certainly exceeds anything I would have thought we would get,” said Sima Farmer, Henry Farmer’s mother.  

Farmer was just 16 years old when he died from an undiagnosed blood clotting disorder in April 2022. 

The former Darien hockey player was remembered Tuesday by friends and family as a very giving and caring person. 

“He was really just such a great friend and no matter what, whether you just sat with him at lunch or saw him on the ice or saw him in the halls, he always brought a smile to your face no matter what,” said Gavin Garrison, Henry Farmer’s friend.  

Henry Farmer used to volunteer for Helping Hands at the youth center along with his twin sister.  

“He’d be psyched that we collected as many toys as we have. Looks like we’ve collected about 400 at the moment, and there’s still another week left to go in the toy drive,” said Sima Farmer. 

All the toys collected will be donated to a Bridgeport school that educates underserved students from pre-K through fourth grade. 

“The message [is] to remember the people around you and check in on people and be a friend to everybody,” said Sima Farmer. 

The Farmer Foundation is accepting donations through Tuesday, Dec. 19.