St Rose Joins The Annual ‘Toys For Tots’ Drive

By Larissa Lytwyn

It looked like Christmas was coming early for St Rose School last December 15.

Dolls, board games, action figures, trucks and even clothing accessories were piled high under an ornament-bedecked holiday tree.

For the past few years, various St Rose School organizations have participated in the US Marine Corps’ annual Toys for Tots program.

This year, members of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) involved the entire school in the annual drive.

“Every marking period during the school year, we do a different service project for the community,” explained NJHS member Jackie Fisher. “Last year, the eighth grade class sponsored Toys for Tots. This year, we thought we could bring the program to the entire school!”

So, this past November, the NJHS spread the word on Toys for Tots through the schools’ weekly newsletters.

“The rules were pretty simple,” said Jackie. “The only real guideline was that the presents had to be new and unwrapped.”

Gifts were categorized by age and gender, from 0 to 5 up to age 11 to 14.

“It’s fun to see all the different kinds of presents people bring,” said NJHS member Christine D’Alessandro. “A lot of the stuff from the 80s is coming back now. We have a lot of Cabbage Patch dolls, My Little Pony [dolls], Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, and other items.”

Also plentiful were classic board games, including Monopoly, Barbie dolls, and sports equipment, such as footballs and basketballs.

Toys For Tots History

Toys for Tots began in 1947 when Major Bill Hendricks and his group of Los Angeles-based Marine reservists collected and distributed 5,000 toys to area children in need.

The idea began after Major Hendricks’ wife, Diane Hendricks, handcrafted a Raggedy Ann doll, then asked her husband to deliver the toy to a local charity.

The success of the 1947 campaign inspired the official launch of the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program the following year, in 1948.

Over the years, Toys for Tots has grown to become on of the nation’s most well-known and successful charities.

Celebrities from the late Nat “King” Cole to supporters including contemporary humorist Tim Allen and first ladies Nancy Reagan and Laura Bush have all worked to publicize the program.

Today, the commander of Marine Forces Reserve Headquarters in New Orleans, La., directs the Toys for Tots Program.

Local campaigns are conducted annually in nearly 500 communities covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Veteran and sometimes currently serving marines are chosen to orchestrate the program in individual communities.

Local toy collection campaigns begin in October and last until December 22. Toy distribution normally takes place on December 23 and 24. Volunteer coordinators, with the assistance of local social welfare agencies, church groups, and other local community agencies, distribute the toys to the needy children of the community.

In addition to schools and town halls, area businesses can become recognized as a national corporate sponsor of Tots for Tots.

By late morning on December 15, NJHS members had finished helping New Haven-based Sergeant Todd Thomas and Sergeant Deirdre McShea load the gifts into a specially marked military vehicle.

“It’s wonderful to see that the whole school got involved with the program this year,” said Sgt McShea.

Added Sgt Thomas, “It’s obvious that the campaign was very successful here. It’s also great that the kids are on hand to help us load [the vehicle]. It’s great to see such effort!”

For more information on the Toys for Tots program, visit www.toysfortots.org.