Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton: The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's Legacy: Toys For Tots Across America

Press release from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton:

Courtesy Story

2021-12-14

UNITED STATES --

Every year, thousands of Marines, their families and local communities work together to spread holiday cheer to children in need through the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots Program. The organization was founded in 1947 when Marine Corps Reserve Major (Maj) Bill Hendricks was asked by his wife to deliver handcrafted dolls that she made to an agency that helped children in need. When they could not find any organization, they decided to create one. Within the first year they donated 5,000 toys to children in need all over Los Angeles, Calif., where Maj Hendricks’ Marine Corps Reserve unit was located.

The next year in 1948, the 19th Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Clifton B. Gates, directed all Marine Reserve sites to implement a Toys for Tots campaign, transforming the local initiative into a national communication action program. At the time, Maj Hendricks worked as the Director of Public Relations at Warner Brothers where he became friends with Walt Disney. Mr. Disney designed the first Toys for Tots poster that included a miniature three-car train that was adopted as the Toys for Tots logo. Every year since then, posters have become a recognized part of the program.

This press release was produced by Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.