The United States Marine Corps’ (USMC) annual “Toys for Tots” drive has delivered nearly 25 million gifts to over 10 million underprivileged children across the country this year as Christmas approaches.
Retired USMC Lt. Gen. James B. Laster, the CEO of the Toys for Tots foundation, revealed the impressive numbers in a statement Tuesday after retailer Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings announced that it had raised over $1.1 million for the gift-giving program.
“In 2024, the Marine Toys for Tots Program reached unprecedented milestones, delivering nearly 25 million toys, books, and gifts to over 10 million disadvantaged children across the Nation. Our mission is to ensure that every child feels a sense of hope for a brighter future, and we are deeply grateful for the unwavering support from Ollie’s,” Laster said.
“Ollie’s dedication to fundraising and toy collection in their stores makes it possible for us to reach even more children in need year after year, spreading optimism, happiness, and the magic of Christmas to millions of underprivileged children in communities across the Nation,” he added.
The donations from Ollie’s and the many other contributors reached children impacted by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, with a Cumberland County Salvation Army representative saying Toys for Tots filled 800 requests.
“They came in, they helped us with filling those 800 that hasn’t been turned in by last Tuesday or Wednesday,” Capt. Jamie Goldfarb of the Salvation Army of the Sandhills told WRAL.
In the interstate Texoma region of Texas and Oklahoma, over 37,000 toys, books, and puzzles will be distributed to children in need, according to KXII.
“Our mission specifically with Grayson and Fannin county is to reach back down and pull people up,” Texoma Toys for Tots local coordinator Taylor Price told the outlet.
In Philadelphia, a whopping 4,184 toys and 2,262 stocking stuffers were collected on Sunday alone, WPVI reported.
