Toys for Tots Application Window Open Now

Wed, 10/25/2023 - 11:16am — John Embry

Toys for Tots began in 1947 thanks to Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks and his wife Diane. Diane had crafted some dolls and asked her husband to take them to an agency that supported children in need. Not finding such an organization, Maj Hendricks and the Marines in his reserve unit were not deterred. On their own, they collected and distributed 5,000 toys that year.

The following year, after the success of Maj Hendricks and his unit’s charity, the Commandant directed all Marine Reserve Sites to implement a Toys for Tots campaign, thus making it a national program.

According to the Toys for Tots website, “The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, a non-profit charity organization, was started in 1991 at the behest of the Marine Corps to help run and support the Marine Toys for Tots Program.”

Many community organizations partner with Toys for Tots to provide toys for needy children during the Christmas Season, including the Butler County Schools Family Resource and Youth Service Centers in conjunction with the City of Morgantown. This year is no exception, as the 2023 Toys for Tots Application window is now open. It is important that families get their application before the deadline on next Friday, November 3^rd, as late applications will not be accepted this year.