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thedrifter
10-22-07, 06:25 AM
Superheroes respond to assist with toy drive in Boston
By Patricia Kime - pkime@militarytimes.com
Posted : October 29, 2007

When it comes to rescuing children from broken hearts this holiday season, who better than Spider-Man and his amazing friends?

Spidey, the Incredible Hulk, Wolverine and other popular Marvel Comics characters are teaming up with Staff Sgt. Patrick Foreman, former Capt. Vernice Armour and other Marines to save Toys for Tots of Greater Boston from a potentially dismal giving year.

At Foreman’s request, Marvel created and printed more than 20,000 posters featuring superheroes, villains and Marines to mark the 60th anniversary of the charitable toy drive.

The posters will be given away to Boston-area kids and Toys for Tots donors this year.

“We’re always out there, asking for people to give. This year, we’re going to give something back,” said Foreman, a career retention specialist with 1st Battalion, 25th Marines.

The idea for the poster came from Foreman, a self-described “comic-book guy” who said he’s felt slighted by Marvel since picking up the Sept. 11-tribute comic “The Amazing Spider-Man #36.”

The comic, which pays homage to ordinary heroes, features a portrait of firemen, police officers, rescue workers, soldiers and sailors.

But no Marines.

Considering that former Marines pulled two of the final three survivors out of the World Trade Center that day, Foreman figured he could ask for some assistance.
Reaching out

“I didn’t have a point of contact at Marvel. I called them up, just started at one level and kept going, going up,” Foreman said.

He eventually reached Mitch Dane, Marvel’s Eastern sales director, and asked Dane whether Marvel would help out.

“They loved the idea,” Foreman said.

Marvel artist John Watson drew a colorful rendition of Marines reaching out to children as Leathernecks and superheroes fend off villains trying to reach them and spoil the holidays.

“I did this poster because I think that the Toys for Tots campaign makes a difference in kids’ lives,” Watson said in an e-mail to Marine Corps Times. “To be celebrating its 60th anniversary is an indication of the ongoing success that the Toys for Tots mission has accomplished in bringing joy to children. It also shows that the work done by the men and women involved is as vital today as it was when the campaign began.”

The staff sergeant hopes the posters will generate excitement for the Toys for Tots program and compel people to donate toys, books and gift cards.

Last year, Toys for Tots of Greater Boston collected 234,000 toys and helped 69,674 families, Foreman said.

“Our number one mission is these little kids,” he said.

For more information on Toys for Tots, see http://www.toysfortots .org/. For information on Toys for Tots of Greater Boston, check out their Web site at: http://www. greaterbostontft.org.

Ellie