Murray NEB- Toys For Tots is a foundation run by the U.S. Marine Corporation since 1947. This toy drive is for families who are less fortunate around Christmas time. 2022 became a record breaking year with 24.4 million toys collected. These toys were distributed to about 9.9 million children.
The goal of Toys for Tots is to bring happiness to the underprivileged kids and families who can’t purchase presents themselves. If you want to request a toy, fill out an application for the drive closest to you. As a total, the foundation has given out 652 million toys to about 291 million children. Each kid will receive two toys and three books. All these toys get sent to a warehouse and get separated by age and gender. 97 percent of the money donated goes to buying toys for children. The other 3 percent covers the cost of fundraising. The drive starts in October and lasts until mid or late December.
In the past years, Conestoga has made it available for students and families to donate to the Toys for Tots program. The drive is run by the Student Council and National Honor Society. Cougar connections classes have competitions to see who can donate the most toys. Students who want to contribute can turn in their toys before school starts, which earns points for their group. I interviewed Rebecca Spangler and she added, “Last year, we collected over 250 toys!” Conestoga is now offering incentives for students who want to donate. The options are being first in line for lunch, hat day, or leaving before the buses. This year’s drive is ending on December 13.
