A
History of Giving
Toys
for Tots began in 1947 when Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR and a group of
Marine Reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys
to needy children. The idea came from Bill's wife, Diane who hand crafted
a Raggedy Ann doll and asked Bill to deliver the doll to an organization
for the benefit of a needy child.
When
Bill realized that no agency existed, Diane suggested to Bill that he
should start one. And he did. The 1947 campaign that ensued was so successful
that the Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots in 1948 and expanded it into
a nationwide campaign.
That
year, Marine Corps Reserve units across the nation conducted Toys for
Tots campaigns in each community in which a Reserve unit was located.
And Marines have conducted successful nationwide campaigns at Christmas
each year since 1948.
The initial
goal that remains the hallmark of the program today is to "bring the joy
of Christmas to America's needy children." Bill Hendricks, a Marine Reservist
on weekends, was, in civilian life, the publicity director for Warner
Brothers Studio. This enabled him to convince a vast array of celebrities
to support Toys for Tots.
In 1948,
Walt Disney designed the Toys for Tots logo which we use today. Disney
also designed the first Toys for Tots poster used to promote the nationwide
program. Nat "King" Cole, Peggy Lee, and Vic Damone recorded the Toys
for Tots song written by Sammy Fain and Paul Webster in 1956. Bob Hope,
John Wayne, Doris Day, Lorrie Morgan, Tim Allen and Kenny Rogers are but
a few of the long list of celebrities who have given their time and talent
to promote Toys for Tots.
First
Lady Nancy Reagan served as a national spokesperson during President Reagan's
presidency. First Lady Barbara Bush served as the national spokesperson
in 1992 and in her autobiography named Toys for Tots as one of her favorite
charities.
From
1947 through 1979, Marines collected and distributed new and used toys.
On Reserve drill weekends during October, November and December, Reserve
Marines even refurbished the used toys.
Since
1980, Marines have collected and distributed only new toys. At
the height of the Cold War, Reservists had to dedicate every minute of
weekend drill time to honing and polishing combat skills, leaving no time
to refurbish toys. Also, safety concerns of 1970-era toys prompted the
change.
In addition,
distributing "hand me down" toys didn't seem to send the the right message
to needy children. The goal was to deliver a message of hope which will
build self-esteem and, in turn, motivate needy children to grow into responsible,
productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders. The Toys for Tots
program thought a shiny new toy was the best means of accomplishing this
goal.
In the
late 1980s, the Marine Corps determined that a private charitable organization
was needed as an integral part of the overall national Toys for Tots program.
In 1991, the Secretary of Defense authorized the Marine Corps to recognize
and work with a charity committed to supporting Toys for Tots. The Marine
Toys for Tots Foundation became an operational organization in September
1991, and has been the fund raising and support organization for the U.S.
Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program since then.
In 1995,
the Secretary of Defense approved Toys for Tots as an official program
of the U.S. Marine Corps and as an official mission of the Marine Corps
Reserve.
In
1996, the Commander, Marine Forces Reserve expanded Toys for Tots to cover
all 50 states by authorizing selected Marine Corps League Detachments
and selected local civilian organizations (generally former Marines),
located in communities far removed from Marine Reserve Centers, to conduct
toy collection and distribution campaigns in their communities as part
of the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Prog ram.
In the
latter part of the 1990's, the Toys for Tots campaign grew by leaps and
bounds. 1997 was marked by a record number of toy donations, benefitting
millions of kids.
In 1998,
Toys for Tots began its second half century with a successful toy collection
and distribution campaign that distributed 11.2 million toys to 4.8 million
needy children. Toy collection and distribution campaigns were conducted
in 314 communities covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia and
Puerto Rico. And every year since, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
has broken records, thanks to
the hard work of thousands of volunteers, as well as the generosity of
a nation.
And
with your support, 2002 can be a record year for some children who could
use some holiday cheer.
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