the history

It's always important to learn how organizations you support are started--I think it's usually the most interesting part about them. I'm sure you have heard of Toys for Tots but do you know how it all began?

Colonel William L. Hendricks
USMCR (Ret)

It all started in the fall of 1947 with Major Bill Hendricks and his wife Diane. Diane crafted a homemade doll and asked her husband to give it to and organization that would in turn give it to a child in need. Unfortunately, at the time an organization like that did not exist, so Diane suggested that her husband start one. That year, Bill and a group of Marine Reservists collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children in Los Angeles. It was so successful that the next year the Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots and turned it into a nationwide campaign.

While Bill was a Marine Reservist on the weekends, during the week he was the Director of Public Relations for Warner Brothers Studios. This allowed to him get many celebrities involved in the effort such as Bob Hope, John Wayne, Doris Day, Lorrie Morgan, Tim Allen, Kenny Rogers and Billy Ray Cyrus, not to mention Walt Disney himself who designed the Toys for Tots logo they still use today.


Originally the organization collected new and used toys, and Reservists would refurbish used toys on the weekends. However, in 1980 they decided to only collect new toys to give each child the brand new toy that they deserve. Over the 62 years of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, Marines have distributed more than 400 million toys to more than 188 million needy children.

Please consider buying extra gifts this season and giving them to Toys for Tots. You can get the gifts to me since we have a drop off box at work, or click here to find the nearest drop off location to you.

Be the change. Make the difference.