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 city of Charlotte and the nine surrounding counties. We distribute the toys primarily through non-profit organizations that are in touch with community’s needs and individual families as needed. The primary goal of Toys for Tots in our region is to deliver a shiny new toy at Christmas and a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders.

We would like to say thank you to everyone in the Charlotte area for making 2006 one of our biggest toy collection years. We were able to provide toys to over 10,000 children in Charlotte and the surrounding counties. With out your generosity we would not be able to ensure each child has a smile on their face when there are toys for Christmas. Please help us make 2007 another successful year.

How can you or your organization get involved? There are many different ways to support Toys for Tots. The easiest form is by purchasing a toy and donating it at one of our toy drop site locations or community functions. Host a Christmas party at your home or at the office and ask your guests to bring a toy as a donation to Toys for Tots. Conduct a toy drive or collect cash donations at work. Challenge another section or a rival business to see who can collect the most toys. Twist the bosses arm to offer incentives to reward the winners. Sign your business up to be an official drop off location to raise awareness and provide your patrons a place to donate toys. Offer discounts to patrons that donate a toy at your store. The options are endless. No matter if the outcome is one toy or a thousand (of course bigger is better), you are putting a smile on a child’s face during the holiday season. We’ll have plenty of Marines standing by to pick up the toys from your events and businesses or you can also deliver them to watch us at work.