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Fundraiser – Toys for Tots

October 21st, 2010

I dunno if you guys know AshlyStar.  She blogs over at Not Your Average Chick.  She’s super cool, and super fun, and super nice… and she LOVES hockey, the weirdo.  She lives in Texas! There’s no ice in Texas! It’s just square (As in the shape, not “You’re such a square, Dad!”, though I’m still confused about why we decided a square is more boring than, say, a triangle, or a rectangle.  They all have straight sides, and corners.  And a triangle only has three sides! Surely, that makes it more boring than a square!) towns, with straight roads, and a buncha cowboys (if only at heart) screaming about football.  All the ice in Texas is man made!

Last year, she did a fundraiser for Toys for Tots, which is run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, and unfortunately, by the time I noticed, it was a day or two before Toys for Tots stopped accepting donations for the year, and we were broke as usual.

I’d heard of Toys for Tots before, and I’ve donated to them before.  My mother and I donated toys, food and money to so many organizations that center around the holidays and underprivileged families when I was growing up that I can’t even remember all of them.  Unfortunately, since I moved out, I’ve been pretty poor, so the most I’ve been able to do is let people know about organizations they can donate to. 

Not long after I saw Ashly’s fundraiser, I got to talking with one of my friends around the neighborhood, and she told me about how her kids almost didn’t have a Christmas.  She got the last slip in the Toys for Tots line.  And the line was out the door, still.

I heard the same story over and over.  And a couple people said that in some places people showed up the night before to get a spot in line.  I don’t know how true that is.  I wasn’t there.

So I talked it over with M, and we decided to do a drive of our own.  Our area definitely needs it.

However, Ashly’s way cooler, cause she buys the toys herself, and then donates them.  We don’t have a car.  So, the money you send will be going straight from us to Toys for Tots.

I know things are still tight everywhere.  Boy, do I know that.  And if you can’t, you can’t.  I’m not even sure we can yet.  But if you can, and want to, please do.  You can donate money to my drive, using PayPal or your credit card, by clicking this adorable bear.


If you’d rather see the toys that are bought with the money, head on over to Ashly’s site and donate there.  She’s doing a drive again this year, and she’ll be purchasing the toys, taking pictures of them, and sending receipts to those who ask for them.  We won’t be offended.  Promise.

Or! If you’d like to do a drive of your own, or even donate in your own area, you can head on over to the Toys for Tots website.  It’s rather intuitive, and makes it pretty easy to figure out where to drop off toys, or how to send money via the internet.

Thanks, y’all.  For those of you who can help, the kids will really appreciate it.  For those of you who can’t, thanks for at least considering it.  Maybe next year, you’ll be able to.  Cause if this works out this year, we’ll definitely be doing it again next year.

A very early happy holidays to you and yours.

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.

  1. October 24th, 2010 at 07:42 | #1

    wonderful cause, lets all get involved.

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