Toys for Tots Did you know?

 The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is an IRS recognized not-for-profit public charity that was created by the U. S. Marine Corps in 1991. The Foundation raises funds, purchases toys, provides promotional and support materials, manages all funds raised and donated, educates the public, and handles day-to-day operations. All donations they receive go to families who may not be able to provide toys for their kids around the holidays. 

• Toys for Tots was founded by Major Bill Hendricks in 1947. In their first year their corporation collected 5,000 toys. 
• Walt Disney designed the Toys for Tots logo. Through the years, the organization has used notable characters such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Dennis the Menace, Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner. 
• In 1959 Toys for Tots went international for that year following a catastrophic typhoon that devastated the city of Nagoya, Japan. 
• You can sign up to volunteer online for Toys for Tots. 
• In 2018 Harford County distributed 25,289 toys and supported 4018 children.  
• In 1988 Diane Hendricks, creator of the first Toys for Tots toy, a handmade doll, passed away on October 13th at age 82. 
• After the hurricane in Florida in 1992, Marine Reserve Units collect and distribute over 7.4 million toys, providing 2,500,000 children with toys. 
• In 1980 Toys for Tots collected and donated new toys for kids.
• Celebrities such as John Wayne, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, George Strait, Brooke Shields, Charlton Heston, Ann Margaret, Sammy Davis, Jr., Doris Day, Andy Griffith, Charlie Daniels, Clint Eastwood, Lorrie Morgan, Johnny Carson, Tim Allen, Kenny Rogers, Joe Foss, John Glenn, Heather French Henry (Miss America 2000), and Billy Ray Cyrus started to endorse Toys for Tots. 
• First national television network promotion for Toys for Tots occurred in 1990.
• Joe Burden of Washington, DC composed a special 50th anniversary song for Toys for Tots. 
• The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is governed by a board of directors, all of whom are veteran Marines and successful business leaders from throughout the nation. 
• Donations can be made in memory or in honor of an individual anytime throughout the year. 
• The Marine Toys for Tots Program distributes an average of 18 million toys to 7 million less fortunate children annually. 
• in 1947, the Commandant directed all Marine Reserve Sites to implement a Toys for Tots campaign transforming it into a national community action program in 1948. 

Source:Toysfortots.org