SAAC runs successful Toys for Tots drive

Old Westbury’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) contributed to the United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program for the ninth-consecutive year

By: Courtesy of Old Westbury Sports Information (written by Nicole Sasu-Twum)

Photo by Ann Denning

General | 12/16/2019 5:56:00 PM

Click HERE to learn more about Toys for Tots

OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. --- (www.OLDWESTBURYPANTHERS.com) SUNY Old Westbury Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) supported the United States Marine Corps Reserve by hosting their ninth-annual Toys for Tots drive during recent December home basketball and swimming contests.

Thanks to the generosity of people throughout the college community, this year's collection efforts were successful. In all, a full box of new, unwrapped toys were donated in the annual drive by Old Westbury student-athletes, students, staff, fans, family and friends. SAAC members collected toys on December 3 (Women's Basketball vs. Farmingdale State College), 7 (Women's Basketball vs. St. Joseph's College-Brooklyn / Men's Basketball vs. DeSales College), 11 (Swimming vs. Brooklyn College), 13 (Men's Basketball vs. Brooklyn College / Women's Basketball vs. Brooklyn College).

On December 16, the toys were delivered to Staff Sergeant Robert Bacchus, who is the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Coordinator for Nassau County.

How Toys for Tots works
The U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots for Nassau County is directed by Staff Sergeant J.D. Quinton, USMC, with the assistance of his staff, from the Marine Forces Reserve in Nassau County, New York.

The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, an IRS recognized 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charity, is the authorized fundraising and support organization for the Toys for Tots Program. The Foundation provides the funding and support needed for successful annual toy collection and distribution campaigns. The Foundation staff is headquartered in the Cooper Center located just outside the main gate of Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Va., about 35 miles south of Washington, DC.

Local campaigns are conducted annually in over 700 communities covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The Commander, Marine Forces Reserve has under his command 163 Reserve Units located in 47 states. To cover all 50 states and more communities in each state, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation selects Marine Corps League Detachments and Local Community Organizations (generally veteran Marines) located in communities without a Marine Reserve Center, to conduct Toys for Tots campaigns as part of the overall U.S. Marine Corps Reserve

Toys for Tots Program
One individual, either a Marine, member of a Marine Corps League Detachment, or member of a local community organization, is designated the Toys for Tots Coordinator for that community. The Coordinator is responsible for planning, organizing and conducting the campaign in his/her community.

Local toy collection campaigns begin in October and last until mid to late December. Toy distribution also takes place mid to late December. Members of the community drop new, unwrapped toys in collection boxes positioned in local businesses. Coordinators pick up these toys and store them in central warehouses where the toys are sorted by age and gender. At Christmas, Coordinators, with the assistance of local social welfare agencies, church groups, and other local community agencies, distribute the toys to the less fortunate children of the community. Over the years, Marines have established close working relationships with social welfare agencies, churches and other local community agencies which are well qualified to identify the needy children in the community and play important roles in the distribution of the toys.

While Toys for Tots Coordinators organize, coordinate and manage the campaign, the ultimate success depends on the support of the local community and the generosity of the people who donate toys.

Local business leaders play key roles. They allow Coordinators to locate drop-off/collection boxes in their stores; provide free warehouse space for storing and sorting toys during October, November and December; provide vehicles to collect toys from drop-off sites; sponsor toy raising events; and help Coordinators arrange media exposure for Toys for Tots in the local community.

National corporations support Toys for Tots by establishing affiliations with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. These corporations make donations to the Foundation or conduct cause marketing initiatives from which they share royalties with the Foundation. In almost every instance, the marketing initiatives of these corporations give significant added visibility and name recognition to Toys for Tots. Such visibility enhances the campaign at the national and local levels. The funds emanating from these affiliations enable the Foundation to purchase toys to supplement local collections; purchase promotion and support materials and defray the costs of annual Toys for Tots campaigns.

Origin and Evolution of Toys for Tots
The Foundation was able to satisfy the six needs identified by the Marine Corps. First, the Foundation could provide toys to supplement the collections of local units that had fewer Marines due to military cutbacks of the '80s and '90s. Second, the Foundation could arrange and pay for the creation, publication, manufacture and distribution of promotion and support materials to Toys for Tots Coordinators. Third, the Foundation could enable individual and corporate donors to Toys for Tots to take a charitable deduction on their income tax returns. Fourth, the Foundation could enter into contracts with corporations to conduct promotions, which would produce royalties for Toys for Tots. (Needs three and four were two important elements of this charitable endeavor that the Marine Corps, as a federal agency, could not fulfill). Fifth, the Foundation could ensure that the Toys for Tots program operates in compliance with IRS regulations, state laws and regulations and charitable standards. Finally, the Foundation took responsibility for the day to day operations of the Marine Toys for Tots Program, thus relieving the Reserve Headquarters Staff of that responsibility and allowing them to focus on training, organizing, and equipping the reserve force.

In 1995, the Secretary of Defense approved Toys for Tots as an official activity of the U. S. Marine Corps and an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve.

In 1996, the Commander, Marine Forces Reserve expanded Toys for Tots to cover all 50 states by authorizing selected Marine Corps League Detachments and selected local community organizations (generally veteran Marine), located in communities without a Marine Reserve Center, to conduct toy collection and distribution campaigns in their communities as part of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.

In 1999, the Commander, Marine Forces Reserve delegated authority to the President, Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to approve and manage local Toys for Tots campaigns conducted in communities without a Reserve Unit.

2001: Despite the trauma the nation experienced as a result of the September 11th attacks in New York City, Washington, DC and Pennsylvania, the economic downturn and the anthrax scare, the

2001 U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Campaign was the second best in the previous 54 year history of the program. Local campaigns were conducted in 388 communities covering all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. This was the most extensive coverage to date.

The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary as the fundraising and support organization for Toys for Tots in 2001. The highlights of the year were that the Foundation had its most successful campaign to date plus was ranked #289 in the 2001 " Philanthropy 400". This was the first time the Foundation earned a ranking in the "Philanthropy 400".

In 2002, Charity Navigator awarded the Foundation a 4-star rating and the Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked the Foundation #267 in the "Philanthropy 400".

In 2003, the DMA Nonprofit Federation named the Foundation the "Outstanding Nonprofit Organization of the Year" for 2003. The Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked the Foundation #341 in the "Philanthropy 400". Starburst ranked the Foundation website #9 of the "Top 100 Toy Websites". Reader's Digest, in the November 2003 edition, named Marine Toys for Tots Foundation "America's Best Children's Charity". In December 2003 edition, Forbes included Marine Toys for Tots Foundation in its "Gold Star List" of charities.

In 2005, the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance reported that Marine Toys for Tots Foundation had met all 20 of its standards and had been designated as an accredited charity.

From 2006 to the present the Foundation has continued to receive, on an annual basis, the accolades noted above.

Over its life span, the Marine Toys for Tots Program distributed over 469 million toys to over 216 million less fortunate children.

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