By Carol Fisher Linn-
Toys for Tots. You grew up hearing about them, seeing the bright red train, along with the red kettle of the Salvation Army on street corners during the Christmas holiday season. They are an iconic part of the American scene. Run, since 1947, by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, Toys for Tots (a 501c3 not-for-profit public charity), distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts at Christmas.
As with so many endeavors of this nature, Toys for Tots got its start due to a conundrum. A woman, Diane Hendricks, wife of Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR, tried to donate a homemade Raggedy Ann doll to a needy child. Unfortunately, she could find no Los Angeles organization which was interested. Major Hendricks gathered some local Marine reservists and with the help of his many friends collected over 5,000 used and new toys for local children. 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. A year later, in 1948, Toys for Tots was launched as a national recruitment campaign for the Marine Corps. In 1995, the Secretary of Defense approved Toys for Tots as an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve. Happy 75th birthday, Toys for Tots.
“Until 1979, Marine reservists (frequently in their dress blue uniforms) and volunteers would collect and refurbish used toys. In 1980, only new toys were accepted, as reservists were no longer able to dedicate drill hours to refurbishing toys, as well as legal concerns, to prevent the accidental giving of recalled items, and the mixed message of giving hand-me-downs as a message of hope.” (Wikipedia) Since many communities did not have a Marine reservist, the commander of the Marine Forces Reserve authorized Marine Corps League detachments and other organizations to fill the gaps in toy collection and distribution. Cattaraugus County picks theirs up by December 2, but if you still have an abundance of new toys you would like to donate, you can call Kip Morrow (local area coordinator) at 716-378-4963 to see if a pickup might be arranged.
Chautauqua County donation boxes will be out until December 15. Terri Johnson, one of the three area coordinators gives a thankful shout-out to the helpful people at the following places where donation boxes are located; (105 of them!) Ollies, Big Lots, Shults Auto Group, all Dollar General Stores, Matco Tools, Community Bank NA, Northwest Bank, Greater Woodlawn Credit Union, and Kirk’s Jewelers.
The Cattaraugus area includes communities within a 30-mile radius around it as well as McKean and Potter Counties. Morrow tells us that last year, they supplied over 10,000 toys for 1,644 kids to age 12. They expect the same this year. He said, “the good of it is that the donations bought locally impacted the economy by over $80,000.” He gives a shout out to the following for their help: Paul Brown Motors, Olean Elks Club, Hall of Fame Barber Shop (Pastor Tyrone Hall), Beth and Belinda See, Brenda Blackwell and all other incredible volunteers who make this drive happen year after year. These volunteers (76 in total) put in over 100 volunteer hours with 172 of them the 2021 day of distribution.
In Chautauqua County, Toys for Tots served 175 families (4300 kids) in 2021, giving away 10,000 toys. Ms. Johnson expressed gratitude not only for the hours volunteers donated, but the care they took in selecting the right toys/books for a child. She was especially struck by how families came in together, and how the children learned a bit more about the fact that there were needy people in their community. She said, “Kids learn about giving back. They learn how fortunate they are, and they also learn not to judge, knowing that some of those bags will go to kids they know at school or in the community.”
There is still time to apply for toys in both counties. In Cattaraugus County, go to Olean-ny.toysfortots.org to apply. In Chautauqua County, go to Facebook at Chautauqua County New York – Toys for Tots 2022.
You can still donate a toy or money. Make a kid’s Christmas a little bit brighter – every kid deserves a toy at Christmas.