Toys for Tots was founded in 1947 by Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR, in Los Angeles, California. Five thousand toys were collected that year during the campaign before Christmas. The first toy was a handmade doll.
Almost 50 years later, in 1995, the Secretary of Defense approved Toys for Tots as an official activity of the US Marine Corps and an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve. The 2012 Toys for Tots campaign distributed nearly 16.8 million toys to more than 7 million children.
The local Toys for Tots coordinator contacted us to join the 2014 campaign. This is Pak Mail 232’s third year as a Colorado Springs Toys for Tots drop-off location. The program’s mission is to collect new, unwrapped toys and to distribute them as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community. It is their goal to provide these children with a message of hope and to help them experience the joy of Christmas.
Providing a convenient drop-off location for Toys for Tots fits in well with Pak Mail 232’s other community service projects: Cell Phones for Soldiers and Styrofoam and packing peanut recycling. Giving back to the community is what it’s all about.
There are several ways to get involved; see the Toys for Tots Call to Action. The ultimate success of the annual campaign depends on local community support and the generosity of folks who donate the toys. It’s an honor to play our part.
Drop off new, unwrapped toys at Pak Mail 232 from now until December 17.
Tags: community, toys for tots