Toys for Tots delivers joy, smiles

The United States Marine Corps has an unofficial ethos of work hard, play hard. When Maj. Bill Hendricks was unable to find a place where his wife could donate a Raggedy Ann doll at Christmas in 1947, he initiated work and play with the formation of a charitable effort in Los Angeles.

During that first year, a group of local Marines placed bins outside Warner Bros. movie theaters and collected nearly 5,000 toys. Their efforts were so successful that, in 1948, Toys for Tots was launched as a national campaign with a primary goal to deliver a message of hope to youth that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.

Since that time, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program has grown to touch the lives of around seven million less fortunate children each year at Christmas. American Legion Riders chapters are active across the nation in supporting the annual toy drive.

“To me it’s all about the kids,” said Brenda Derr, chairman of the Toys for Tots benefit motorcycle ride for American Legion Riders Chapter 146 in Oceanside, Calif. “Doing what we can to collect more toys so more kids get something under the tree. At Christmas, you really want to make it special for the kids.”

The Toys for Tots program is a top-rated charity, according to “Philanthropy 400,” an annual evaluation of charities, and meets all 20 standards established by the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. More than 97 percent of financial donations go to the mission of providing toys, books and other gifts to less fortunate children. Less than 3 percent is spent on fundraising and overhead, and the physical donations are used in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

The annual ride and rally in Southern California is primarily an American Legion event, but it involves many other groups. “It’s not just Legion Riders that are here,” Derr said. “There are motorcycle groups from all over Southern California, groups that normally don’t ride together but today they are coming together for the kids.”

“It’s just fantastic to see groups like this step up in the community,” said Jim Wood, mayor of Oceanside. “I’m just proud to be here. My neighbors to the north (at Camp Pendleton) are my heroes. These groups are pulling together and doing the right thing for everyone.”

Local collection campaigns at places like businesses and American Legion posts begin in October and last until mid- to late December. Coordinators pick up the toys and store them in central warehouses where they are sorted by age and gender. At Christmas, coordinators receive help from local social welfare agencies, church groups and other community organizations to distribute the toys in the community.

“We work directly with Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton reserve families, and all the toys that are collected here go directly to Camp Pendleton,” Derr said. “We are trying to gather as many toys as possible. My goal is 1,000 toys; last year we had over 600 toys donated.”

Even though the warm weather and sunshine did not reflect the traditional atmosphere of Christmas, the holiday spirit of giving was clear. Long rows of motorcycles with toys strapped on them filled the street as tough looking bikers greeted Marines in dress blues who accepted the gifts.

The Oceanside event is held at Kennedys Custom Cycles, a family shop that has been in the community for more than 30 years. “We believe in giving back to the community. We do several events a year,” said Bill Kennedy, owner and an Army veteran. “We do a lot of charity work, but certainly this is a good one with Toys for Tots.

The program has had a presence in this community for a long time, but in recent years it had been described as getting a little stale so Kennedy was part of an effort to build it up again. “We want to shake it up a little bit, so we are having an old fashioned party," he said. “My brother and I, we throw some parties. I’m a Harley Davidson shop owner, but today you’re going to see every kind of bike and every kind of rider.”

The spectrum of clubs in attendance ranged from clean and sober riding groups to some seriously bad boy clubs who all shared the common bond of being, or supporting, veterans. “No matter who they are, all of them are coming down here to do something for the military,” Kennedy said.

Toys for Tots is officially a Marine Corps Reserve program, but Kennedy embraces all branches of the military and feels at home wherever he finds an American Legion. “I am an American Legion member, I don’t wear a number on my hat because they are all my American Legion," he said. "Wherever I am and there’s an American Legion, that’s my American Legion.”

Although Toys for Tots is designed to be a program for local children in the United States, the program went international on three occasions. The first followed the catastrophic typhoon that devastated the city of Nagoya, Japan, in 1959. The other two occasions were to the Republic of Panama following the invasion in 1988 and to the Caribbean following Hurricane Hugo in 1989.

Celebrity endorsement

When Hendricks started Toys for Tots he was the director of public relations at Warner Bros. Studio and used his position to enlist celebrity support from the late Charlton Heston and Clint Eastwood, both American Legion members, as well as stars like John Wayne, Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra.

Walt Disney designed the red toy logo that remains the recognizable symbol of the organization to this day. Disney also created the first national Toys for Tots poster. The posters have become a recognized part of the annual program, and through the years have featured such notable characters as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Dennis the Menace, Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner. Posters have been designed by a member of the Association of Handicapped Artists, by Marine Corps Reserve artists, as well as an array of well-known artists like Ted Drake and Bob Timberlake.

Celebrity support continues to be a successful formula with partnerships like the one used in the 12th annual nationwide fundraising campaign at Toys ‘R Us. They invite customers to spread holiday joy by donating new, unwrapped toys at any Toys ‘R Us or Babies ‘R Us store across the country.

NBA legend, philanthropist and entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal participates in the annual Toys ‘R Us fundraising campaign as his alter ego Shaq-A-Claus to encourage shoppers to donate to Toys for Tots. Throughout the campaign, Shaq-A-Claus will also invite social media users to #PlayItForward, an initiative designed to further spread awareness and to inspire families to donate to the cause.

Corporate supporters

As the largest retail partner in the history of the organization, Toys ‘R Us has raised nearly $42 million and collected more than 4 million toys since the partnership began in 2004.

Disney continues a 60-year tradition of supporting Toys for Tots at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort with an annual toy drive. According to Disney Parks Blog, cast members have donated more than 6,000 hours of service to help sort donations and distribute toys to families in need. Disney Cruise Line has hosted toy drives onboard their ships, at their homeport in Port Canaveral, Fla., and in their shore-side offices. Disneyland Paris hosted an event where they wrapped gifts for children from local communities who were invited to the park for a Christmas Eve brunch. In total, cast members have donated more than 40,000 toys, books and games.

Hess, a global independent energy company, includes social responsibility as one of their basic building blocks and is listed as a Five Star Partner with Toys for Tots. Five Star Partners has contributed at least $1 million cash or at least $2 million in toys.

Macy’s, also a Five Star Partner, gives back to local communities through contributions, leadership and volunteer efforts to help create stronger, healthier places to work and live. Contributions are made through workplace giving campaigns and customer contributions through signature giving programs, as well as encouraging associates to volunteer with programs like Toys for Tots.

Hasbro has been supporting the program for 18 years, donating about $3 million worth of toys and games each year. “Companywide, our employees spend each day trying to make the world a better place for children and their families,” said Karen Davis, senior vice president of Global Philanthropy and Social Impact at Hasbro, Inc. “We love how Toys for Tots gives the parents or caregivers the opportunity to be the hero on the morning of their holiday. The joy a parent gets watching their child open a gift they gave them may be equal to, or exceeds, the joy the child feels. The Marines should be very proud of this program and the difference they are making. All of us at Hasbro are certainly proud to be their partner.”

From Hollywood to the White House

First ladies including Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush have served as national spokespersons for Toys for Tots, and First Lady Michelle Obama has been an active supporter of Toys for Tots for seven years. Each year she holds an event at the White House to promote the program.

“It’s just a tremendous privilege to be able to be a part of making Christmas just a little brighter for a few kids across the country,” said Michelle Obama during an interview last year with MSNBC. “Some who may be leaving the military are able to provide that same dedication, that same sense of service to organizations throughout the country.”

From the White House to local community toy drives, Toys for Tots has impacted the lives of more than 216 million children and provided more than 469 million toys, but the need continues. You can contribute to your local Toys for Tots campaign in several ways. You can donate a toy at one of the area toy drop locations, host a Toys for Tots event at your home, office or other venue and collect toys for Toys for Tots, or volunteer at the local warehouse.

To learn more, please visit www.toysfortots.org.