AAA South Jersey members and employees recently donated over 250 toys to the Camden County chapter of U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation.
As part of the campaign, employees could also “buy” the right to wear jeans during the month of the December by paying $1 per day. Employees “paid” $400 for this privilege, with the club matching the employee donation, resulting in an $800 check for Toys for Tots to purchase additional toys and supplies.
All of the toys collected will be distributed to boys and girls in the Camden County area.
The toys and check were presented by AAA South Jersey CEO Carol Scott and COO David Antrilli to Desmond Newbill, the Camden County Coordinator for Toys for Tots, during a ceremony at the AAA South Jersey headquarters in Voorhees.
“We were thrilled by the response from AAA and employees to this campaign,” said Carol Scott, CEO of AAA South Jersey. “Everyone was extremely generous with their donations, and it showed by how much we were able to give to Toys for Tots. Through the generosity of AAA employees, members and the community, Christmas will be much happier for numerous local children.”
Additionally, two AAA South Jersey offices in Gloucester County and one office in Cumberland County also collected for Toys for Tots. Those three offices combined to collect an additional 50 toys, which will be distributed to needy children in their local communities.
The primary goal of the Toys for Tots program is to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate children that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive and patriotic citizens. Since the inception of Toys for Tots, more than 400 million toys have been distributed to more than 188 million needy children.
The Toys for Tots program was founded in 1947 by U.S. Marine Corps Maj. William L. Hendricks, when Hendricks and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles first collected and distributed 5,000 toys to children. The following year, the Marine Corps Reserve adopted the concept and made it a national endeavor.
