Marines Kick Off Annual Toys for Tots Drive

Six local U.S. Marine units have kicked off their annual Toys for Tots drive in the Hartford area and already, residents are pitching in.

“My dad was a Marine, fought in World War II, and I wanted to come and give something back," said Dorothy Moore, who headed to the Toys"R"Us in North Haven to purchase her contribution. "And I asked them, ‘Do you want $100 or should I go buy toys?’ So they actually got more out of me, because I spent more than the hundred."

Moore picked out toys she knew her 2-year-old granddaughter would like and added them to the growing pile.

It's just the beginning of a month-long campaign at Toys"R"Us and Babies"R"Us stores, and Moore said she hopes others will do the same.

“Come buy a toy. It makes you feel good, and you're doing something good for somebody,” she said.

Toys"R"Us store manager Andrea Chainyk said community members can donate new, unwrapped toys through Dec. 7 and make monetary donations through Dec. 24.

All donations will benefit local families who need help putting toys under the tree.

“The toys get brought to a warehouse where they're divided up by age groups, and as far as I'm aware, the community comes and they get to pick the toys from the bins,” said U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Jennifer Viscuso.

Right now, the biggest needs are gifts for older teens and toys for toddlers and infants.

If you donate a toy, make sure to tweet an “un-selfie” with the hashtag "playitforward." For every photo tweeted, Toys"R"Us will donate another toy as part of Shaquille O’Neal’s Play It Forward Challenge.

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