WASHINGTON, November 22, 2016—The Marine Toys for Tots Program, with support from HASBRO, FIRST BOOK, The Walt Disney Company, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and the Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team, will deliver toys and books on November 22 to families impacted by the severe flooding from Hurricane Matthew.
The flooding in North Carolina from Hurricane Matthew caused well over $1 billion in damage to over 100,000 homes in the southeastern portion of the state leaving many without homes and basic needs in October of 2016. Now, faced with the holiday season rapidly approaching, many families continue to struggle as they attempt to return some normalcy to their lives, and are finding themselves in need of support for their children during Christmas, Chanukah and other holidays.
With help from Hasbro, their long-time partner and sponsor, the Marine Toys for Tots Program will distribute over $250,000 worth of new toys to the North Carolina communities affected by the flooding. In their 20-year history of supporting Toys for Tots, Hasbro has donated over 3 million toys valued at over $36 million fulfilling the Christmas holiday dreams of millions of less fortunate children who may have gone without.
Joining in the effort is Toys for Tots’ newest partner, First Book, the nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 150 million books to children in need, which will be contributing 30,000 children’s books. The books will be provided by Disney and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Since this large shipment of toys and books is well prior to Christmas, Santa’s reindeer are busy grazing in the North Pole and unable to deliver the goods. Santa, through his U.S. Marine Corps connections, reached out to the Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Team to seek alternative transportation. The Blue Angels have graciously offered their C-130 “Fat Albert” and crew to fly these much needed toys to ensure no child has been forgotten this holiday season.
On November 22nd, 2016, the Blue Angels’ C-130 will fly toys in to the (Fayetteville) airport where Marines from Marine Forces Reserve units along with a host of volunteers will unload the toys and deliver them to the local Toys for Tots Coordinators in the surrounding counties who will then distribute those toys and books to families in need for the 2016 Holiday Season.
Established in 1947, Toys for Tots is the Marine Corps’ premier community action program and an official activity of the U.S. Marine Corps as well as an official mission of Marine Forces Reserve. The mission of the program is to collect new, unwrapped toys, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children. The goal is to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens. Since 1947, the Marine Toys for Tots Program has distributed 512 million toys to 237 million children. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is an IRS recognized 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit charity established in 1991 at the behest of the Marine Corps to support the Marine Toys for Tots Program. The Foundation’s mission is to provide a tangible sign of hope to economically disadvantaged children at Christmas time. Since its inception in 1991, the Foundation has supplemented local toy collections with over 117 million toys valued at over $920,000.
Hasbro is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World’s Best Play Experiences. From toys and games to television, movies, digital gaming and consumer products, Hasbro offers a variety of ways for audiences to experience its iconic brands, including NERF, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, LITTLEST PET SHOP and MAGIC: THE GATHERING, as well as premier partner brands. The Company’s Hasbro Studios and its film label, Allspark Pictures, are building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Through its commitment to corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, Hasbro is helping to make the world a better place for children and their families. Learn more at hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro & @HasbroNews) and Instagram (@Hasbro).