Newark Police Hold Toys for Tots Drive

This Christmas the police department of Newark, Delaware will be accepting gifts through a Toys for Tots rally alongside the United States Marine Corps Reserve.

Until December 12th toys can be left in the collection barrel in the lobby of the Newark Police Department. Donated gifts should be unwrapped and appropriate for children up to twelve years of age. All of these gifts will later be given out to the children of Newark who otherwise might not be able to enjoy this winter holiday. On December 17th Santa Claus will be passing out the gifts with held from the Aetna Hook and Ladder Company's fire engine and with Newark Police Department and US Marine Corps Reserve escorts.

The Toys for Tots program was founded in 1947 by the United States Marine Corps by Major Bill Hendricks with the mission to collect new, unwrapped toys in the fall which would then be redistributed to needy children in various communities as Christmas gifts. Those military men and women who hand out the toys will often choose to dress in their full blue dress uniform to highlight the involvement of the military. The program first began in Los Angeles, California in the late 1940's but later spread across the country, bringing happiness to children nationwide. The first drive collected nearly 5,000 toys for local children and the program was so well received that in later years a foundation was created to support the toy drive.

While it is clear that food drives are necessary to aid our communities year round and particularly in the holiday season, people do not survive by food alone. Imagine a Christmas morning with no tree and no toys. Not only would this be difficult for children, who believe in a jolly old man in a red suit who brings presents with no need for cash, but also for the parents. It is not the materialism of the holiday, but the joy that families gain from the smiles on the faces of their children - children who are still able to believe in the power of good, charity, and love. For those families who are unable to provide the experience that most Americans take for granted, it is not the things that they are missing - it is the joy it brings to their children.