We love being part of the Toys for Tots donation drive every year and supporting our community in giving back. The program has a long history of spreading joy!
Spreading Joy For Over 70 Years
Toys for Tots was founded by the late Colonel William L. Hendricks, USMCR (Ret). In the middle 1940s, Bill Hendricks was the Director of Public Relations for Warner Brothers Studio and concurrently a Major in the Marine Corps Reserve. In the fall of 1947, Bill, with the assistance of members of his Marine Reserve Unit, collected and distributed toys to needy children of Los Angeles, CA. The first toy was a handmade doll crafted by Bill Hendricks’ wife, Diane.
Bill Hendricks’ pilot project was such a success that the Marine Corps adopted it and expanded it nationwide in 1948. That year, Walt Disney, a close personal friend of Bill Hendricks, designed the first Toys for Tots poster which included a miniature three-car train that was subsequently adopted as the Toys for Tots logo.
Our Toys for Tots 2019 donation drive ends Thursday, December 12th. As our way of thanking those who support this great cause, all those who donate will be entered to win tickets to see the Detroit Pistons when they take on the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, January 11th at 7 p.m. at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.