Lee Erwin reporting
lerwin@clarksvillenow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Marine Corps Reserve is kicking off its Toys for Tots campaign along with the local Marine Corp League Detachment 603. The event is set for Friday and Saturday, November 1 & 2 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at Toys R Us, 2821 Wilma Rudolph Boulevard.
Toys for Tots is accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys to be dropped off at their kick off at Toys R Us. The Toys for Tots campaign runs November 1 through December 15 and there are close to 180 locations in the area where toys can be dropped off. Toys for Tots is also accepting monetary donations to purchase toys for children for Christmas.
Local Coordinator for Toys for Tots, Mike Kohler talked about the program. “We’re looking to help right around 12-15,000 kids, we helped 10,000 children last year and this year we’re trying to get more to help the community out as much as possible,” said Kohler. The program supports youngsters in local and surrounding counties.
The Toys for Tots program began in December of 1947 in California when the wife of Marine Reserve Major Bill Hendricks hand crafted a doll and asked her husband to give it to an organization that would make sure it got to a less fortunate child for Christmas.
Hendricks couldn’t find an agency that provided such a service so to help fill the void, so he and members of his Los Angeles Marine Reserve Unit collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children in Los Angeles over Christmas in 1947 and Toys for Tots was born.
To learn more about the Toys for Tots campaign in the area go to www.toysfortots.org, click on a local zip code and it will take you to the local Toys for Tots program. You can also contact Mike Kohler at (931) 220-3023.