Toys for tots program expands giving boundaries
Toys For Tots Program Expands Giving Boundaries
This year, program officials added Thailand and Guam to their area of responsibility, according to Staff Sgt. Suzette Smith, a coordinator with Okinawas Toys for Tots. The volunteers and reserve Marines collected toys for needy children in Okinawa Prefecture full service movers arlington va and the Philippines in previous years.Smith hopes Marines will be able to personally deliver donations to Thailand and Guam as done in Operation Goodwill, which delivers toys and clothes to children of the Philippines during the holiday season.The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders, according to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation Web site.Last year the organization collected approximately 10,500 toys, according to Sgt. Shamala Henson, a coordinator for Okinawas Toys for Tots. She hopes the collection drive can collect at least 11,000, especially since they want to provide for children in two more countries this year.I want to break last years goals and make sure every child gets four toys like last year, said Henson.
Program coordinators also want to raise awareness of the Ho Ho Express, a campaign-closing event intended to collect as many donations as possible during the final moments of the toy drive. The Ho Ho Express is scheduled for Dec. 15, the last day of the drive. A bus will visit each collection box on island and program personnel will collect all remaining toys. The event doubled the amount of collected toys in 2005 with help from American Forces Network radio broadcasters, who constantly aired updates on the bus location and upcoming stops.The program needs toys for all ages of children. Toys for pre-teens and young teenagers are typically in short supply.People should remember that there are kids that are 13 and thats usually the age group we lack the most, Smith said. Coordinators running Okinawas program have a lot of events for this years drive and need plenty of volunteers to help them. Volunteers can help with tasks such as sorting toys or promoting donations by making an appearance in public with their dress blues.
