In this special holiday episode of Insuring Your Success, host Bram Bains sits down with his high school friend Sandy Mann — founder of Uncle Vinny's Toy Drive — to talk about one of the most moving community stories to come out of Brampton in recent years. Uncle Vinny's Toy Drive was born out of loss. Sandy's cousin Vinny passed away in December 2019 at a young age. Rather than let grief define the holiday season for their family, Sandy channelled it into something powerful — a charity drive that honours Vinny's love of kids, community, and the holiday spirit.

In this conversation, Sandy and Bram talk about:

- Who Uncle Vinny was and why his memory inspired a community movement

- How the toy drive grew from a small idea into a full-scale charity event

- What it felt like to hand Vinny's parents a cheque on stage in front of a packed room

- The role of community, culture, and giving back to Malton

- What's next for Uncle Vinny's Toy Drive

This year's event was held at Elite Banquet Hall in Brampton — generously sponsored for the entire venue and food. With the support of platinum, gold, silver, and bronze sponsors — including Maverick Insurance Brokers and our partners who provided $4,000 worth of Aura Kids products, and raised over $17,000. The original goal was $5,000. Every dollar raised went directly into purchasing toys for kids in the community.

Guest: Sandy Mann — Founder, Uncle Vinny's Toy Drive | @unclevinnystoydrive.gta

Host: Bram Bains — Maverick Insurance Brokers | @insuringyoursuccess

Note: This episode was recorded during the 2025 holiday season.

Insuring Your Success is a platform created to spotlight real success stories and share wisdom that plants seeds — helping elevate the entrepreneurs, creators, and professionals who make our communities stronger.

We're actively seeking partners and sponsors who believe in the power of storytelling to inspire growth and impact.
If you'd like to collaborate, sponsor an episode, or explore creative partnerships that align with your brand — we'd love to hear from you.

📩 Contact: bram@brambains.com