Spreading Joy At Christmas Marine Corps Toys For Tots
by Stephanie Baker
“We are here to make sure no kid goes without on Christmas,” said Tri-County Marine Toys for Tots Coordinator Sara DeYoung.
The Toys for Tots local chapter’s goal is to donate 21,000 toys to 7,000 kids across Johnson, Logan, and Newton counties this year.
The organization’s train tree will be available in Clarksville’s Walmart starting Friday, Nov. 10. Each train features a local child and a list of his or her wants and needs for the holiday season. The trains are available for the public to select and shop for a specific child, with the train and the donations returned to be distributed to the family by the Marine outreach project.
In addition to the train tree, the organization collects new and unwrapped toys to provide families in need an opportunity to choose Christmas gifts for their children. The non-profit will be collecting toys at the Holiday Market at the Marvin Vinson Multi-Porpoise Building on Nov. 18-19 and Clarksville Walmart on Dec. 1-2 and 8-10. Monetary donations and toys can dropped off at Clarksville-Johnson County Chamber of Commerce anytime, according to DeYoung, who is in her eighth year as coordinator and 14th year working with the organization.
The non-profit’s mission is to provide tangible signs of hope to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas nationwide, with each community serving its own children in need. “One hundred percent of the money given locally stays in our area,” said DeYoung.
For the rest of the story, see the Nov. 8 edition of The Graphic, found online or in businesses around Johnson County.
