Mackenzie Veselik/Winonan
The holiday season is starting early at Winona State University. Although it’s still too early for snow, over the past month, some festive green barrels have been appearing in corners all over campus. A sign on each one explains that they are receptacles for the annual Toys for Tots fundraiser.
The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve runs the Toys for Tots program, which has been collecting new toys for children in need since 1947. Since then, the popularity of this charity has grown immensely and each year, October through December, Americans eagerly donate.
All across the country, toy drop boxes are placed in malls, workspaces and right here at Winona State.
As the head of the Residence Housing Association and a coordinator of this year’s Toys for Tots on campus, Charlie Anderson encourages all donations, no matter how small.
“These toys may be the only thing that they get for the holidays this year, or even years to come,” Anderson said. “I would ask you to donate something, whether it be some spare change, a couple dollars or even a brand new toy in order to put a smile on these kids’ faces.”
With the holidays right around the corner, the Residence Housing Association and the National Residence Hall Honorary are joining forces to give life to Toys for Tots 2013.
Part of their annual strategy is the “You Light Up My Life” fundraiser.
“We are selling strands of lights that residents will be putting up in the windows of their room, in which they will light on Dec. 5 during a campus lighting ceremony,” Anderson said. “The ceremony represents all the lives that the students living in the residence halls at WSU have ‘lit up’ this year during the holiday season.”
At the end of the fundraiser, the toys will be bought and sent out to kids to open on Christmas morning.
That moment especially, Anderson said, is important to the mission behind the fundraiser.
“I want children to know and understand that people are kind and the world is open to them,” he said. “That is why I get involved.”
Thanks to the Hiawatha Valley Marines, Toys for Tots has spread across the entire Winona area. Jim Eddy, professor emeritus and former Marine, is helping to promote the event in the community.
“We’ve been doing it for approximately ten years,” Eddy said. “It’s a way to do outreach and networking to the general public.”
According to Eddy, this year’s fundraiser has more than 75 collection barrels open for donations.
All donations will be collected on Thursday, Dec. 5.
Eddy also said out of the over 300 families the Hiawatha Valley Marines gave toys to last year, nearly all took the time to say thanks.
Distribution of the toys the Marines receive this year will take place on Dec. 15.
Contact Mackenzie at [email protected]
