Toys for Tots 76th Anniversary

November 27th, 2023 by

Toys for Tots 76th Anniversary

For over seven decades, the Toys for Tots program has grown exponentially. Toys for Tots began in 1947 by Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks. His wife, Diane, was the real inspiration behind helping children in need. She had a few handcrafted dolls and asked Bill to deliver them to an agency that supports children in need. When Bill reported back to his wife that he could not find such an organization to donate the dolls to, she told him to start one! Major Hendricks and the Marines in his reserve unit in Los Angeles collected and distributed over 5,000 toys in 1947.

Over the years, this program has brought hope and the magic of Christmas to over 281 million less fortunate children. Now, in the 76th year, they also provides year-round support to families experiencing challenges and exceptional circumstances. This helps to fulfill the hopes and dreams of millions of families and children in need, across the nation.

Last year, the Flathead County Toys for Tots program distributed over twenty-thousand toys and supported 2,257 children. It is their goal to distribute more toys and to help even more children this year!

Here’s what you can do to help:

This year, the Kalispell Auto Group is matching each financial donation, dollar for dollar, up to $1,000, for our local program. You can donate at any of our Kalispell Auto Group Stores, (Kalispell Toyota, Kalispell Ford, and Kalispell Volkswagen.) We have toy donation bins set up throughout each store that we will deliver on December 10th.