Make this holiday season magical for children in need! The mission of Toys for Tots, a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, is to collect new, unwrapped toys each year and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community.
Toys for Tots began in 1947 as the brainchild of Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks. Actually, it was his wife, Diane, who was the real inspiration. She had a few handcrafted dolls and asked Bill to deliver them to an agency that supports children in need. When Bill reported back to his wife that he could not find such an organization, she instructed him to “start one!” Maj. Hendricks and the Marines in his reserve unit in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys in 1947. Seeing such successful community engagement in 1947, the Commandant directed all Marine Reserve Sites to implement the Toys for Tots campaign transforming it into a national community action program in 1948.
The Christmas season is just around the corner, and we need your help to bring joy and hope to children in America! Bring a gift of a new unwrapped toy to the Christmas/Chanukah Party on Dec 17th at Marbella Restaurant where US Marine Corps Reservists will be on hand collecting them, or drop them off before Dec 17th at Ret. Police Captain Joe Concannon’s house (89-11 237 St., Bellerose, NY). These toys will be distributed as Christmas gifts to make this holiday season special for our nation’s most valuable resources, our children!
