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Dec. 14 is the last day to donate toys
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Employees at the Huntington Bank office, 3499 Belmont Ave., Liberty, stand beside the overflowing collection box for the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots campaign. From left are Lindsay Lemke, personal banker; Denise Smith, teller; and Steven Sicilian, assistant manager.
Marine Corps Reserve’s campaign in full swing
VIENNA
There still are 10 days left for area residents to participate in the 2014 Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Christmas campaign in Mahoning and Columbiana counties.
The deadline for placing a new, unwrapped toy in one of the numerous Toys for Tots drop-boxes in the two counties is Dec. 14.
The toys will be distributed later this month to children whose parents or guardians signed them up to received a toy, said Marine Sgt. Michael Tucker, Toys for Tots events coordinator. He is an active-duty Marine with the Marine Corps Reserves’ Detachment 3, Maintenance Co., Combat Logistics Battalion 453 at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna.
The Toys For Tots program was founded in 1947 in Los Angeles. Some 5,000 toys were collected during the first campaign.
In 2013, the Toys for Tots Christmas campaign in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, led by Marine Corps and Navy reserve units at YARS, collected more than 34,000 toys and books and raised more than $48,000 to bring a Merry Christmas to 8,847 kids in Mahoning and Trumbull counties,” said Marine Sgt. Montano Modesto, local Toys for Tots coordinating officer
Tucker said there are more
than 200 toy drop sites in the two-county area. The location of several of them can be found by visiting Toys for Tots.org; then go to “select a site,” click on “Ohio,” and select the appropriate city or county.
Among other major drop-off sites are: Huntington Bank, Dunkin’ Donuts, Walgreens, Farmers National Bank, Austintown and Canfield schools, Toys “R” Us, and Quaker Steak & Lube in Austintown.
Members of the Marine Corps League’s Tri-State Detachment 494 are collecting the gifts from the sites and taking them to a warehouse for storage and sorting until they are given to the children.
“It is something we love doing and a way of giving back,” said James Skok, a Marine veteran and coordinator of the pickup effort.
Besides donating a toy at one of the area locations, people can contribute to the campaign by hosting a toy collection at their home, office or other venue, or volunteer to sort and distribute toys.
For example, a Toys For Tots fundraising event is set for 1 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday at American Legion Post 737, 16465 Milton Blvd., Lake Milton.
Jodi Minotti, the coordinator and host, said the adult event features bands and dancing the entire time, auctions and food, and donations are accepted. The admission fee is $5 or an unwrapped new toy.
The 2013 event raised more than $3,000. Every penny is turned over to the Marines, Minotti said.