NEW YORK (PIX11) — In the true spirit of giving, New York City Marines are making sure no child is left without a gift this Christmas.
The iconic Toys for Tots “Red Bus” rolled into Times Square this week for one of its biggest stops yet outside the Applebee’s at 50th Street and Broadway, where Marines with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve helped load up toys and gifts donated by local supporters.
Among the holiday highlights: a check for more than $200,000, donated by Doherty-owned Applebee’s restaurants.
“We welcome families all throughout the year and we want to make sure that every kid in the communities that we serve really has a great Christmas holiday season,” said Timothy Doherty, President of Doherty Enterprises.
From there, Marines began transferring toys from the bright red double-decker “Red Bus” into another truck bound for their warehouse in Brooklyn.
Staff Sergeant Gavin Sun, Assistant Coordinator for Toys for Tots’ NYC campaign, said the Marine volunteers teamed up with locals all across the city to collect donations.
“We actually partnered up with the Big Bus and went around multiple different stops collecting toys,” Sun said. “There were a lot of willing New Yorkers that went inside the stores, most of them were Five Below’s and came back out to provide us with those donations.”
Once the toys arrive at the warehouse, Sun says they undergo a rigorous process before reaching families in need.
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“We’re going to bag them, tag them, and then give them to approved nonprofit organizations. And we serve all five boroughs,” he said.
The Toys for Tots drive serves children of all ages from newborns through teens, but this year, the Marines are especially focused on filling a gap for older kids.
“The older kids, the 8 to 12 and 13 to 17 range, they kind of get neglected,” Sun explained. “So from the monetary donations that we receive, we try and use those to supplement our inventory with toys for the older kids.”
It’s a mission rooted in community and joy. “We’re hoping with more donations coming in, we can serve more and more and hopefully reach all the kids in New York City,” said Sun.
All proceeds from the Toys for Tots events go directly to the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program, helping ensure every dollar raised brings holiday magic to local children.
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