Toys for Tots Campaign Celebrates 60 Years of Caring

, October 25, 2007

Agency Joins with The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. For '60 Days of Giving' Celebration

Sixty years ago, the wife of a Marine Corps Reserve officer handed her husband a hand-made doll and told him to give it to an organization that provided toys to poor children during the holidays. When he told her no such agency existed, she told him to start one. And so Toys for Tots was born.

Six decades later, that spirit of caring and giving is alive and well. To celebrate that spirit and the organization's 60th anniversary, Toys for Tots is joining forces with The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations across the country for a "60 Days of Giving" campaign.

The campaign launches on Friday, Oct. 26, at the Marine Corps Marathon press conference in Washington, D.C. There, Mail Boxes Etc., Inc. President Stuart Mathis will present a $60,000 check to Lt. Gen. Matthew T. Cooper, USMC (Ret), Marine Toys for Tots Foundation president and CEO.

Then, from Friday, Oct. 26, through Monday, Dec. 24, participating locations will be selling $1 commemorative donation cards. All proceeds will be used to support Toys for Tots programs in the communities where the funds are raised.

"Although we wish there were no need for a program like Toys for Tots, we're fortunate to have enjoyed widespread support for all these years. With the number of children living in low-income families continuing to rise, the need is greater than ever," said Cooper. "We look at each toy as an opportunity to improve a child's outlook on life and increase his or her self-esteem."

This is the third year that The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. locations have been a national Toys for Tots sponsor. Over the past two years, the retail chain has raised more than $1 million.

"We are honored to have the opportunity to help Toys for Tots launch its 60th anniversary celebration," said Mathis. "Celebrating this milestone at the Marine Corps Marathon makes the honor that much greater."

NASCAR legend Dale Jarrett also is supporting the program for a third year. He will drive a special The UPS Store/Toys for Tots car on Sunday, Oct. 28, in Atlanta. Twelve-year-old Vincent Giacalone of Emerson, N.J., designed the special paint scheme for the car. His winning design was among more than 1,200 entries from children across the country in the "Design Dale's New Ride" contest.

The UPS Store/Toys for Tots car will be on display today through Saturday at the Marine Corps Marathon expo at the DC Armory. Please visit www.marinemarathon.com for more information.

"I am happy to have the opportunity to help this holiday tradition celebrate its 60th anniversary," said Jarrett. "I encourage all NASCAR fans to lend their support."

According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, 17 percent (12 million) of our nation's children live below the federal poverty level. Of these children, more than 40 percent (5 million) live in families with incomes of less than half the poverty level.