Toys for Tots in need of more donations

This year’s economic nose-dive is forcing many families to cutback or even go without this holiday season.

Many children will not have presents under the tree even with support for programs like News 2’s Toys for Tots.

We are on par with toys donated in years past, at about 40,000 toys, but because the demand is so high there will still be some children who won’t have any gifts for them Thursday morning.
 
Bags are all filled with toys and ready for families to pick up at the Toys for Tots work station at Tanger Outlet.  Corporal James Brantley says the marines have received about 2,000 applications this year from families—that’s more than last year.

Because of the higher demand from families this year, the Marines have had to turn away other organizations like children’s homes and church groups they usually donate too.

Toys for Tots has received a lot of toys for boy ages 9 to 12, but they also really need toys for young girls and teens.

The box for teen girls only had about three items in it.

If you don’t feel like shopping or don’t have time, you can donate money and the marines will use that money to buy toys for Lowcountry kids.

You can do that by heading out to the toy drives Monday and Tuesday.

News 2’s Rob Fowler and the marines will be out Monday starting at five a.m. at the new Chick-fil-a in Mount Pleasant at Oakland Plantation.

Then Tuesday, they’ll be at the Chick-fil-a in Summerville.

You can also help make a child’s Christmas a little more memorable by donating a new toy here at News 2.

We’ll collect toys until Christmas Eve.