Blake Corum was blown away by the turnout for his latest efforts to give back. Michigan’s star running back hosted a holiday toy drive Saturday morning and enlisted the help of his teammates, but even Corum could not envision the number of people that showed up.

“I woke up this morning — every time I have an event I wonder ‘Is it going to be big, are people going to come?’ And the community showed out,” said Corum. “It wasn’t about me, it wasn’t about my teammates, it was about the community coming together for a better purpose, better cause, and they did it for sure.”

As for the nature of the event, Corum said it’s a reflection of his true purpose of giving back and connecting with people. He also said the event was supposed to start at 11 am but the line was already packed when he got there at 9 am.

“It’s all about the bigger purpose. I tell everyone, football is my passion but giving back is my purpose and I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” Corum explained. “The more people I can connect with one-on-one… I want to talk to people, I want to smile, I want to laugh. The event was supposed to start at 11, I got here at 9 and the line was already long.”

Corum even said the event itself was enough as it relates to his decision to return to Michigan for another season. He referenced conversations with his parents and the pride they have for his efforts.

“This is all I needed,” said Corum about the event in relation to his decision to come back for another year. “I know my parents are proud of me as they always tell me. They love what I do on the field, but it’s about what I do off the field. This is what we came back for. We are trying to reach some goals & win the national championship, but this is what it is really about.”