Marine Corps League in Renovo assists in annual program for kids
KEVIN RAUCH/FOR THE EXPRESS Gail Valora, Annie Scrimshaw, center, and Mark Hatterer organize the toys and prepare them for distribution.
KEVIN RAUCH/FOR THE EXPRESS Roland Davenport, left, hands Art Kramer a bag of toys as the Marines handed them to parents who had come to collect them in preparation of Christmas morning.
KEVIN RAUCH/FOR THE EXPRESS Col. Eric Williamson and Robin Davenport, in true Christmas and Marine fashion, made their list and checked it twice.
KEVIN RAUCH/FOR THE EXPRESS Gail Valora, Annie Scrimshaw, center, and Mark Hatterer organize the toys and prepare them for distribution.
KEVIN RAUCH/FOR THE EXPRESS Roland Davenport, left, hands Art Kramer a bag of toys as the Marines handed them to parents who had come to collect them in preparation of Christmas morning.
KEVIN RAUCH/FOR THE EXPRESS Col. Eric Williamson and Robin Davenport, in true Christmas and Marine fashion, made their list and checked it twice.
Trending
RENOVO -- Santa received a major assist this holiday season in Western Clinton County.
Bucktail Detachment of the Marine Corps League finished their annual Toys for Tots drive Saturday afternoon, passing out thousands of toys that will find their way underneath trees on Christmas morning.
The story began as it does every year -- a little over a month ago when the familiar Toys for Tots collection boxes began popping up on behalf of the Marines at area clubs and businesses. Other similar programs helped to supplement the local Marines and before anyone knew, the bounty was as plentiful as ever.
Drones and bikes to puzzles and dolls soon were everywhere to be seen and at the ready for Christmas morning.
Seven years ago the Bucktail Marines asked the local Salvation Army Service Extension Program/Office Coordinator Robin Davenport for assistance in the collection and organization of the toys. With the recent move to the 7th Street United Methodist Church, they too were now on board to help.
In recent days, the toys were organized by gender, ages and interests. The application to receive Toys for Tots asked that parents not only give the children's names and ages, but even specific toys that each individual child wanted the most.
By Saturday morning the hard work had been done and now the helpers, elves of the Marines if you will, were ready to start packing.
Davenport, her husband Roland and brother-in-law Rick, along with Annie Scrimshaw, Gail Valora and Mark Hatterer (all of whom insisted this was about the Marines and youngsters) packed the bags in preparation.
One person would call out an item that was wanted, a volunteer would go to that table, looking through the small mountain of future gifts, and pick out item by item.
The Marines -- on this afternoon Colonel Eric Williamson, Ron Jones and Art Kramer -- joined them and the distribution began Saturday afternoon.
Col. Williamson's daughters Rylee and Piper also joined in to help.
Appreciative parents gave a steady stream of thanks and appreciation to all involved and wishes for a Merry Christmas was a constant. Even many parents' eyes lit up as they often struggled to pick up the heavy bags filled with goodies.
"We're so fortunate as a community to have the Marines being so active and helping the community, we're all a small, small part of this, and they've all done this for so many years," Robin said.
After months of planning the distribution itself took just a half an hour to complete. Once the final bags are received by parents, the 2023 Toys for Tots Program will have helped 49 families and 109 kids have a brighter Christmas morning.
As children open their presents, just like Santa, the Bucktail Detachment of Marines will be in the comfort of their own homes, hopefully realizing the good that they spread this holiday season.