Black Friday marked the start of the Marine Corps League collection for Toys for Tots and Wednesday closes the season for this tradition that began 60 years ago. “Toys for Tots began in 1947 in Los Angeles by the wife
Black Friday marked the start of the Marine Corps League collection for Toys for Tots and Wednesday closes the season for this tradition that began 60 years ago.
“Toys for Tots began in 1947 in Los Angeles by the wife of a Marine reservist,” said Marine Corps League publicist John Burns. “That first year they distributed 5000 toys.”
Kaua‘i’s League purchased over $6,700 of toys from WalMart the day after Thanksgiving.
“We meet at 4 a.m. to buy toys with money we’ve earned from fundraising,” Burns said.
In addition to the toys purchased that day, the League bought $2,000 each in gift certificates from Borders, WalMart and KMart.
Every weekend since Black Friday volunteers have been manning a table in front of WalMart and KMart.
“This year a lady gave four shopping carts filled with toys to our WalMart volunteer,” Burns said.
Bank of Hawai‘i, Kong Radio and all Kaua‘i fire stations have been collecting for the program as well.
“In years past we’ve had people drop off garbage bags full of toys,” he said. “We ask people not to wrap them. The Salvation Army wraps all the toys, we just collect them.”
The program began officially on Kaua‘i just nine years ago. Burns said that in the rest the country the Toys for Tots program is run by Marine Corp. reserves.
“But here on Kaua‘i it’s just a bunch of old broken down jar heads,” he said.
In 1991 Toys for Tots formed a foundation to better manage the funds, he said.
“Over the foundation’s 18-year life span more than 81 million toys valued at $487 million have been collected.”
Tuesday and Wednesday are the last days folks in need of a toy can pick one up from the Hardy Street Salvation Army.
“People call up and request a gift for their child, then come on the distribution days,” Burns said. “There are two Salvation Army locations; one in Hanapepe and one in Lihu‘e.”
Call Salvation Army at 245-2571.
The numbers are not in on how many gifts were collected this year, but Burns said last year Salvation Army provided 3,959 keiki with gifts from the program.
“There was a total of 3,981 toys distributed including 100 bikes,” he said. “The total value was $59,000. It’s amazing how generous people on this island are. The ones who give the most are the ones who look like they could use our services.”
