thedrifter
10-05-05, 07:49 AM
Marines take to trenches for children in need
Yearly Toys for Tots gets started today
By JOHN FOOKS
Texarkana Gazette
The Marines, Navy and city officials are hoping 2005 will be another record-breaking year in the area's Toys for Tots campaign.
U.S. Navy HM (Hospital Man) 1st Class Neil "Doc" Good said besides the thousands of children the TFT campaign served last year, it will be serving even more this year.
"I don't have any hard numbers yet, but the U.S. Marines' Toys for Tots Campaign will be taking Christmas to all the needy children in our region, in addition to the children ... evacuees from both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita," Good said during Monday's official kickoff
"We're going to do our dead-level best to see that every child in Texarkana, Hope, Atlanta, New Boston and all points in between have a very merry Christmas."
Toys for Tots began in 1948 when the wife of a Marine made a Raggedy Ann doll and asked her husband to find a child who needed the doll. The entire Marine Corps eventually adopted the idea to create the annual campaign.
Attending this year's kickoff was Mayor James Bramlett of Texarkana, Texas.
"Because of hurricanes Katrina and Rita there is a great need right now in Texarkana and the surrounding area," Bramlett said. "But I know that this is a tremendous challenge that the Marines are prepared to take on."
Bramlett said from past experiences with Toys for Tots, there is hardly anything that brings a greater feeling of accomplishment and compassion than the campaign.
"Especially when you see the look on children's faces when they open their Christmas presents on Christmas morning," Bramlett said. "I have to tip my hat once again to the Marines and Doc, who is in his second year here at the unit as a Navy spokesman for the Toys for Tots campaign."
Charles Nickerson, city manager for Texarkana, Ark., said this will be his second year to see the "great works" the local Toys for Tots campaign will provide for the area. As a former resident of Little Rock, he remembers the Toys for Tots statue in Memorial Park in that city.
"When you think about Toys for Tots, you have to think about all the kids who wouldn't have a Christmas if it weren't for the Marines," Nickerson said. "What is really special about this campaign here in Texarkana is that this is a truly extraordinary community, where generosity is concerned. We've seen it with the hurricane evacuees and we've seen it in previous Toys for Tots campaigns."
Good said the red-topped Toys for Tots camo truck will be at Wal-Mart Supercenter in Texarkana, Texas, at 10:45 a.m. today as the first campaign kickoff.
Good said this year the truck and Marines will stay as long as donations/gifts are coming in.
"We've decided to open earlier and stay later at all of our collection and donation points this year," Good said. "Tomorrow morning (today) we'll be dead center in front of Wal-Mart and making an awareness day of Toys for Tots."
The 82 reservists and 11 staff at the D.A. Carson Unit have geared up for the 2005 campaign. For more information about how and where donations may be made, call Doc Good or Sgt. Felix Barrios at 903-838-4341.
http://www.texarkanagazette.com/content/articles/2005/10/04/local_news/news/news10.jpg
2005 TOYS FOR TOTS WITH THE USMC RESERVE UNIT IN TEXARKANA, TEXAS
Ellie
Yearly Toys for Tots gets started today
By JOHN FOOKS
Texarkana Gazette
The Marines, Navy and city officials are hoping 2005 will be another record-breaking year in the area's Toys for Tots campaign.
U.S. Navy HM (Hospital Man) 1st Class Neil "Doc" Good said besides the thousands of children the TFT campaign served last year, it will be serving even more this year.
"I don't have any hard numbers yet, but the U.S. Marines' Toys for Tots Campaign will be taking Christmas to all the needy children in our region, in addition to the children ... evacuees from both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita," Good said during Monday's official kickoff
"We're going to do our dead-level best to see that every child in Texarkana, Hope, Atlanta, New Boston and all points in between have a very merry Christmas."
Toys for Tots began in 1948 when the wife of a Marine made a Raggedy Ann doll and asked her husband to find a child who needed the doll. The entire Marine Corps eventually adopted the idea to create the annual campaign.
Attending this year's kickoff was Mayor James Bramlett of Texarkana, Texas.
"Because of hurricanes Katrina and Rita there is a great need right now in Texarkana and the surrounding area," Bramlett said. "But I know that this is a tremendous challenge that the Marines are prepared to take on."
Bramlett said from past experiences with Toys for Tots, there is hardly anything that brings a greater feeling of accomplishment and compassion than the campaign.
"Especially when you see the look on children's faces when they open their Christmas presents on Christmas morning," Bramlett said. "I have to tip my hat once again to the Marines and Doc, who is in his second year here at the unit as a Navy spokesman for the Toys for Tots campaign."
Charles Nickerson, city manager for Texarkana, Ark., said this will be his second year to see the "great works" the local Toys for Tots campaign will provide for the area. As a former resident of Little Rock, he remembers the Toys for Tots statue in Memorial Park in that city.
"When you think about Toys for Tots, you have to think about all the kids who wouldn't have a Christmas if it weren't for the Marines," Nickerson said. "What is really special about this campaign here in Texarkana is that this is a truly extraordinary community, where generosity is concerned. We've seen it with the hurricane evacuees and we've seen it in previous Toys for Tots campaigns."
Good said the red-topped Toys for Tots camo truck will be at Wal-Mart Supercenter in Texarkana, Texas, at 10:45 a.m. today as the first campaign kickoff.
Good said this year the truck and Marines will stay as long as donations/gifts are coming in.
"We've decided to open earlier and stay later at all of our collection and donation points this year," Good said. "Tomorrow morning (today) we'll be dead center in front of Wal-Mart and making an awareness day of Toys for Tots."
The 82 reservists and 11 staff at the D.A. Carson Unit have geared up for the 2005 campaign. For more information about how and where donations may be made, call Doc Good or Sgt. Felix Barrios at 903-838-4341.
http://www.texarkanagazette.com/content/articles/2005/10/04/local_news/news/news10.jpg
2005 TOYS FOR TOTS WITH THE USMC RESERVE UNIT IN TEXARKANA, TEXAS
Ellie