An American Holiday Tradition – Christmas is a time of joy, happiness and goodwill. It is a time of giving and helping those who are less fortunate than ourselves, especially impoverished children. For over half a century, one organization - The U.S. Marine Corps, is the unchallenged leader in helping America’s needy children.
 

 In 1947, Major Bill Hendricks and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. The 1947 pilot project was so successful that the Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots in 1948 and expanded it into a nationwide campaign.
 

 In 1948, Walt Disney designed the Toys for Tots logo, which we use today. Disney also designed the first Toys for Tots poster used to promote the nationwide program. Nat "King" Cole, Peggy Lee, and Vic Damone recorded the Toys for Tots theme. Since that time, Bob Hope, John Wayne, Doris Day, Lorrie Morgan, Tim Allen, Kenny Rogers and Billy Ray Cyrus are but a few of the long list of celebrities who have given their time and talent to promote Toys for Tots. And since that time Marines have collected and distributed over 386 million toys!
 

 Our Mission - The mission of the Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.
 

 In Nevada County and Auburn, Ca. the Marine Corps League (a Marine Veteran’s Organization) operates the Toys for Tots program and has for six years starting from just a few hundred children to helping over 1,800 children experience the joy of a new toy last year. When you donate to the Toys for Tots program, it directly helps many others as we give toys every year to other organization within the community. We work directly with the Nevada County Sheriff to serve the outlying communities of Washington and North San Juan as well as the Salvation Army to serve all of Nevada County and Auburn.
 

 How you can help – Please donate a new, unwrapped toy valued at $10 dollars or more. The best donations are sporting goods, toy cars/planes/boats, dolls (Barbie, G. I. Joe, etc.), board games, books, bicycles, scooters, puzzles, models, hand-held video games and small electronics. A list of toy donation collection boxes is available here at our website; http://grass-valley--ca.toysfortots.org.

 You can also become a toy drop location, volunteer your time, space to store toys or donate money. Money donated goes to purchase toys in specific age groups where there is a need.


Please do not donate weapons of any kind.

 With the current economic conditions we are receiving more requests for toys this year than ever. Our sincere hope is to be able to reach all the children in need and with your help we will reach our goal.
 

 As Sir Francis Bacon once wrote, "in charity there is no excess." Thank you for your generous financial and moral support.