Christmas is a time of joy, happiness and goodwill. It is a time of giving and helping those who are less fortunate than ourselves, especillay impoverished children. For the past 60 years, one organization - the United States Marine Corps - is the unchallenged leader in looking after America's needy children at Christmas.

In 1947, Major Bill Hendricks with the support of members of his Los Angeles Marine Corps Reserve unit - collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. Bill's program was so successful that in 1948, the Marine Corps adopted it and expanded it nationwide as the United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.

Walt Disney designed the train logo. Dr. Phil is the honorary nation chairperson in 2007.

Today, Toys for Tots is the Marine Corps' premier connumity relations program. To many Americans, Christmas isn't complete without the image of uniformed Marines collecting and distributing toys to needy children in their communities. Marines bring the joy of Christmas to nearly 3.5 million needy children each year.

MISSION:
The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

GOAL:
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.

OBJECTIVES:
The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help needy children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation's most valuable natural resources - our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future.

ACTIVITIES:
The principal Toys for Tots activities which take place each year are the collection and distribution of toys in the communities in which a Marine Corps Reserve Unit is located and in communities without a Reserve Unit that has a Marine Corps League Detachment or group of men and women, generally veteran Marines, authorized by Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to conduct a local Toys for Tots campaign. Local Toys for Tots Campaign Coordinators conduct an array of activities throughout the year, which include golf tournaments, foot races, bicycle races and other purely voluntary events designed to increase interest in Toys for Tots, and concurrently generate toy and monetary donations.

 http://www.toys4tots.org/