By Heather Bennett Eye
Charity and compassion, central to the holiday spirit, run deep in our community, and our Emerald Coast Toys for Tots is gearing up to spread the message of giving and sharing this holiday season. Each year they bring countless smiles to children’s faces with their toy drive. As we start our holiday shopping, we can see the familiar logo of the Toys for Tots red train appearing in our favorite stores. It’s time to ask ourselves, how can we help?
Toys for Tots began as a charitable effort by the Marines in 1947, and their foundation was authorized as a nonprofit organization in 1991. Our Emerald Coast Toys for Tots Coordinator, Nicole Armantrout, works with Fort Walton Beach Marine Corps League Detachment 915, Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, Marine Detachment EOD Students and many valuable volunteers every holiday season. They collect and distribute toys to local charities, such as United for a Good Cause, Catholic Charities, and Guardian ad Litem, to benefit less fortunate children in our community.
Nicole started in 2009 as a volunteer when she worked with a former coordinator. “I wound up just loving it to pieces and wanted to be involved, to be at every event,” she explained. “You’re in over your head, you love it, you can’t imagine how you ever had life without this in it.” Nicole stays busy year-round to bring joy to children along the coast. In addition to the Toys for Tots holiday campaigns, they also assist families during natural disasters. “We don’t just use toys for Christmas,” Nicole explained. “They’re also there for emergency situations. If we hear of a family that’s fallen on hard times, like a house fire or natural disaster, like a flood, we respond to that as well.”
If you are interested in getting involved with Toys for Tots, there are many opportunities to donate, volunteer, or attend an event. For more information on how to get involved by becoming a donation center, volunteering, or becoming a sponsor, please visit their website at http://fort-walton-beach-fl.toysfortots.org. If you would like more information on how to sign up with a local charity to register for assistance, please email fort.walton.beach.fl@toysfortots.org.
Donation locations across the Emerald Coast include Barnes and Noble, Eglin Federal Credit Union locations, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Emerald Coast in Destin, and Disney Store Outlet at Silver Sands, and many others.
Please continue to check our website for upcoming events where you can donate, meet our Marines and volunteers, and take home Toys for Tots promotional items.
Drop Point Details:
November 25: Build a Bear, Destin Commons – 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the Disney Store, Destin – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
December 2: Walmart, Destin – 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
December 9: Build a Bear, Destin Commons – 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.; Walmart, Destin – 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.; the Disney Store, Destin – 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Upcoming Events:
December 1 – December 5: Highway 98 Country, The Emerald Coast’s Country Station, will be hosting its annual Bikes or Bust at Uptown Station Friday starting December 1 at 10 a.m. through Tuesday, December 5 at 12 p.m. Radio host Scott Mallory will be camping out on a scissor lift for 98 hours to help raise awareness for Toys for Tots. During the event, they will be collecting bikes and helmets for kids of all ages. Monetary donations are also welcome. Sponsors of the event include Eglin Federal Credit Union, Florida Power and Light, Skippers Seafood, Hampton Hyundai and Live Oak Fiber, and Shoreline Church.
