In the next couple weeks, Alden High School is taking part in Toys for Tots. What is Toys for Tots? Toys For Tots is a Marine Corp Reserves program that strives to gather new unopened or unwrapped toys in the months if October, November and December and distribute the toys to less fortunate children in the community. The goal of the program is to bring toys toys to less fortunate kids to show them the joy of the Christmas season in the hope that it will help them grow as a responsible, productive, and patriotic citizen.

Toys for Tots began as a Los Angeles charitable effort in 1947. Major Bill Hendricks USMCR, was inspired by his wife Diane when she tried to give  a homemade Raggedy Ann doll to a needy child but couldn’t find any organization to do so. At her suggestion he gathered a group of local Marine reservists, including Lieutenant Colonel John Hampton, who directed and collected some 5,000 toys for local children that year from collection bins placed outside of Warner Bros. movie theaters. Their efforts were so successful that, in 1948, Toys for Tots was launched as a national campaign. Hendricks used his position as director of Public Relations for Warner Brothers Studio to enlist celebrity support, as well as have Walt Disney Studios design the red toy train logo.

Over its time around the Marine Toys for Tots Program distributed over 512 million toys to over 237 million less fortunate children. Where Does the program take place? The Marine Toys for Tots Program collected and distributed 18 million toys to 7 million less fortunate children in 2015 letting them to experience the joy of Christmas and receive a message of hope that otherwise would not have been there. This community action program took place in 782 communities covering all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

The Toys for Tots Literacy Program helped bring the gift of reading to less fortunate kids across the country. The foundation in connection with the UPS stores raised over $319,000 from donations at over 2000 UPS stores locations. The Money raised were used to purchase quality children’s books, which together with other donated new books, allowed Toys For Tots to distribute over 3.02 million books to less fortunate kids and to schools located in less prosperous areas. Toys For Tots is supported by people all over the country and people more famous or powerful some recent supporters was the first lady Michelle Obama and the first family. So this Christmas season take part in Toys For Tots to bring Christmas  joy to a less fortunate child in your community.