Sanford Detachment Marine Corps League #1223
VFW Stanley McLeod Post 5631
1500 Veterans Way
Sanford, North Carolina 27330
First Monday of each month, at 7:00 PM
2023: These are toys collected at VFW Post 5631 for Toys for Tots Campaign.
As we bid farewell to another incredible year of spreading joy and happiness through Toys for Tots, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for your unwavering support. Your generosity has truly made a difference in the lives of countless children, bringing smiles, laughter, and a sense of wonder during the holiday season.
2023 brought our total children helped this year to 1,253. This was a new record for our campaign, last year we served 872 children. That is an increase of 381 more children and a total of toys donated to 5552.
To our incredible donors:
Your kindness and compassion have transformed the holiday experience for numerous children who may have otherwise faced a season without the magic of receiving a special gift. Your willingness to give from the heart has not only provided tangible presents but also conveyed a profound message of love and community. Your contributions have become the building blocks of cherished memories for these young ones.
To our dedicated event organizers:
Your hard work, passion, and commitment have been the driving force behind the success of our Toys for Tots events. Whether you organized a toy drive, fundraising event, or volunteered your time and talents, your efforts have directly impacted the success of our mission. Your ability to rally communities and create a sense of togetherness has been instrumental in making the holiday season brighter for countless families.
Together, we have demonstrated the power of collective kindness and the incredible impact that can be achieved when individuals come together for a common cause. The success of Toys for Tots is a testament to the generosity and compassion that reside within our community.
As we express our heartfelt thanks, we want you to know that your contributions extend far beyond the toys themselves, you have planted seeds of hope, joy, and goodwill that will continue to grow and flourish in the hearts of those you have touched.
Thank you for being an essential part of Toys for the Tots family! Your commitment to making a difference is truly inspiring, and we look forward to continuing this journey of spreading joy in the years to come.
If anyone has any ideas that you would like to share to improve our program or to get more involved, please reach out to me, you can find my contact information at the end of this letter.
Wishing you the best in 2024 with one that is filled with love, happiness, and fulfillment.
Warmest regards,
Toys for Tots Team
Linda Missimer, Coordinator
Sanford NC Toys for Tots
Email: lmisimer47@gmail.com
Phone: 910-709-4434
Toys for Tots Christmas in July.
Temperatures were in the upper 90s with the Heat Index above 105. The DoNC TFT Coordinator
showed up in his Christmas suit.
Even under those conditions, we did well with both the collection of toys and money.
1947 Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR founds Toys for Tots in Los Angeles, California. 5,000 toys collected during a campaign before Christmas 1947. The first toy is a handmade doll.
1948 The United States Marine Corps adopts Toys for Tots, and expands it into a nationwide community action project as the U. S. Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots Program. Marines at each Reserve Center throughout the nation conduct toy collection and distribution campaigns in the communities surrounding the center.
Walt Disney designs the now famous Toys for Tots train logo and creates the first national Toys for Tots poster. These Christmas posters have become a recognized part of the annual program, and through the years have featured such notable characters as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Dennis the Menace, Bugs Bunny and the Road Runner. Posters have been designed by a member of the Association of Handicapped Artists, by Marine Corps Reserve artists as well as an array of well known artists such as Ted Drake and Bob Timberlake.
1949 Major celebrities begin to endorse the program. Over the years Toys for Tots Spokespersons have included 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. First Ladies, Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush, served as National Toys for Tots Spokespersons.
1956 Oscar winning songwriters Sammy Fain and Paul Webster compose the Toys for Tots theme, which was later recorded by Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee and Vic Damone.
1959 Toys for Tots goes international. Although the program is designed to be a local program for local children of the United States, Toys for Tots went international on three occasions. The first followed the catastrophic typhoon that devastated the city of Nagoya, Japan, in 1959. The other two occasions were to the Republic of Panama following the invasion in 1988 and to the Caribbean following Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, an IRS recognized 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity is the fund raising, funding and support organization for the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. The Foundation was created at the behest of the U. S. Marine Corps and provides support in accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding with the Commander, Marine Forces Reserve, who directs the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. The Foundation has supported Toys for Tots since 1991.The mission of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted