ORLANDO, Fla. — The United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation surprised local Disney “VoluntEARS” Saturday with a special ceremony recognizing the company’s decades-long commitment to their mission.
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Toys for Tots began in 1947 when Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks and his wife Diane went looking for a place to donate several handcrafted dolls, but couldn’t find one.
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Hendricks, who worked as a civilian as the Director of Public Relations for Warner Brothers Studios, asked many of his celebrity friends to help support the newly-created Marine Toys for Tots Program.
Personal friend Walt Disney was one who answered the call, designing the first Toys for Tots poster featuring the toy train design still used today.
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The tradition continued in 2021 as Disney kicked off their “Ultimate Toy Drive” with a $500,000 donation to Toys for Tots, $50,000 of which went directly to the Central Florida community.
Another 10,000 toys were donated at Walt Disney World Resort this year as hundreds of Disney VoluntEARS helped collect, sort, and distribute donated toys at area Toys for Tots warehouses, collectively providing more than 2,000 volunteer hours.
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The current President and CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, retired Marine Lt. Gen. Jim Laster, joined Disney cast members at a special recognition ceremony held inside one of the distribution warehouses.
“Disney has been our foundation’s longest and most loyal supporter for more than 70 years,” Lt. Gen. Laster said. “Our foundation is built upon the dream of one Marine to make a difference for families in need during the holidays, and the unwavering support we received from legends like Walt Disney and the company he founded.”
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Cox Media Group
