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| Major Bill Hendricks founds the Marine Corps
Reserve Toys for Tots Program in Los Angeles,
California. 5000 toys were collected during a
campaign that ended before Christmas 1947.
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| The United States Marine Corps Reserve adopts
the Toys for Tots program as a nationwide
community service project conducted by local
Reserve Units across the nation. Walt Disney
designs the now famous Toys for Tots train
logo and creates the first national Toys for
Tots poster. These Christmas posters have
become a recognized part of the annual
program, and through the years have featured
such notable characters as Mickey Mouse,
Donald Duck, Dennis the Menace, Bugs Bunny,
and the Road Runner. Posters have also been
designed by a member of the Association of
Handicapped Artists and by Marine Corps
Reserve artists.
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| Major celebrities begin to endorse the
program. Over the years Toys for Tots
spokespersons have included John Wayne, Bob
Hope, Frank Sinatra, George Strait, Brooke
Shields, Charlton Heston, Ann Margaret, Sammy
Davis, Jr., Doris Day, Andy Griffith, Charlie
Daniels, Clint Eastwood, Lorrie Morgan, Johnny
Carson and Tim Allen. First Ladies Nancy
Reagan and Barbara Bush served as National
Toys for Tots spokespersons.
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| Oscar winning songwriters Sammy Fain and Paul
Webster compose the Toys for Tots theme, which
was later recorded by Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee
and Vic Damone.
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| Toys for Tots goes international. Although the
program is designed to be a local program for
local children of the United States, Toys for
Tots went international on three occasions.
The first followed the catastrophic typhoon
that devastated the city of Nagoya, Japan in
1959. The other two occasions were to the
Republic of Panama following the invasion in
1988, and to the Caribbean following Hurricane
Hugo in 1989.
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| KABC-TV of Los Angeles receives the highest
non-military award possible from the
Commandant of the Marine Corps for sponsoring
a spectacular Toys for Tots Circus.
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| New York Yankees sponsor first major sports
event to benefit Toys for Tots, a "bring a toy
game" with the Washington Senators. Since then
the world of professional sports, both teams
and individual athletes from virtually every
sport, has supported toys for Tots.
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| The Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program
continues to grow as does public support. More
local and national companies become involved
and local civilian organizations and
individuals assist Reserve units with local
programs. Program grows to the level of about
8,000,000 toys collected and distributed
annually. From 1947 through Christmas 1979,
Marines collected both new and used toys. As a
result of the implementation of the Total
Force Program within the Department of Defense
in the late 1970's, Reservists no longer had
time to refurbish toys, hence from Christmas
1980 onward, Marines have collected only new
toys.
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| First national television network promotion
for Toys for Tots. King World, Merv Griffin
Productions' evening television game show,
"Wheel of Fortune", and Pizza Hut conduct a
three week promotion of Toys for Tots that
raises nearly $3,000,000. It set several
records that are recorded in the "Guinness
Book of World Records" for participation and
donations made to a call in promotional.
Marine Corps Reserve units collected and
distributed over 7.9 million toys. Marine
Reserves are mobilized for Desert
Shield/Storm, but Toys for Tots goes on.
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| Marine Reserve units collect and distribute
over 7.4 million toys. The Marine Toys for
Tots Foundation supports the Marine Corps
Reserve Toys for Tots Program for the first
time providing 500,000 toys and promotional
materials to local Marine Corps Reserve Toys
for Tots Programs.
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| Marine Reserve units collect and distribute
over 7.4 million toys. Marine Toys for Tots
Foundation provides over 250,000 of these
toys. Most of the Foundation toys were
presented to children of Florida and Louisiana
who were victims of Hurricane Andrew. First
Lady, Barbara Bush was National Spokesperson
for TFT. The Marine Corps and everyone
associated with Toys for Tots morns the
passing of the founder of Toys for Tots,
Colonel Bill Hendricks, USMCR (Ret).
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| Marine Reserve Units collect and distribute
over 8,000,000 toys. Marine Toys for Tots
Foundation provided 959,000 of those toys.
Many of the toys provided by the Foundation
were distributed to the children who were
victims of the Mississippi basin floods.
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| Marine Reserve Units collect over 6,800,000
toys and brighten the Christmas of over
3,400,000 under privileged children. The
Foundation provided over 800,000 of these
toys.
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| Marine Reserve Units collect over 8,100,000
toys and brighten the Christmas of over
4,200,000 underprivileged children. The
Foundation provided over 2,000,000 of these
toys. TV star, Tim Allen was the National Toys
for Tots Spokesperson. Marine Reserve Units
and Marine Corps League Detachments.
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| Distribute over 6,700,000 toys to nearly
3,700,000 needy children. Over 2,000,000 of
these toys were provided by the Foundation.
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