LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Toys for Tots campaign kicked off over the weekend with the U.S. Marine Corps League spearheading the effort with help from the U.S. Navy and the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Mana and the U.S. Coast
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Toys for Tots campaign kicked off over the weekend with the U.S. Marine Corps League spearheading the effort with help from the U.S. Navy and the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Mana and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Frank Kleckner, head of the Kaua‘i campaign, said Toys for Tots will maintain collection sites in front of the Walmart and Big Kmart stores for the next three weekends before assembling the collection for distribution to Kaua‘i’s needy children.
People are welcome to contribute any new and unwrapped toy which will be earmarked for Kaua‘i’s children in need.
“We’ll be here from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekend,” Kleckner said. “Every year, I keep saying, ‘It’s my last year,’ but no one steps up so I keep doing it. It’s for the kids.”
Kleckner, who was joined by the league’s mascot, Recon, said he wasn’t sure how many toys are needed on Kaua‘i, but will collect as many as he can to ensure all keiki and young people will have a bright Christmas.
Recon was originally a Toys for Tots submission, Kleckner said. That was seven years ago and since then, the stuffed animal was adopted by the league after one of the ladies sewed a battle outfit for him, giving rise to his ‘Recon’ moniker.
“People look forward to seeing him at the site,” Kleckner said. “He’s famous. They wait all year just so they can see Recon.”
