On Friday, November 20, Terra Linda AVID students donated roughly 300 toys to the Toys for Tots drive sponsored by the ALICE 97.3 Sarah and Vinnie morning show. The generosity of the student body and the hard work of the AVID program was evident this year, as it has been in the past. “It’s an opportunity to give back and educate people on the need of others,” described English teacher and AVID coordinator Lauren Inman. “It [the drive] went really, really well,” according to Inman. The Marines were “impressed” and Terra Linda has so far been one of the most generous organizations to donate.

Inman started the Toys for Tots drive at Terra Linda in 2011 to make the donation process more convenient for students. “I started this program because it impacts kids within the Bay Area and I have worked with kids and their families who have low incomes,” she commented.  

Toys for Tots is a charity program run by Marine Corps League Detachment and Marine Corps Reserve Unit with the objective to deliver toys to children in need. Among the several companies that support their drive are Toys R Us, Babies R Us and Disney, who collect unwrapped toy donations from local communities and deliver them to children worldwide.

The Toys for Tots program started in 1947 in Los Angeles, California. The first drive brought in only 5,000 toys, but that number has grown significantly over the years. In 2014, $284 million was collected, marking one of the most successful years in the program’s existence. Local companies and corporations also contribute or help raise between $5,000 and $25,000 in cash that goes towards supporting the program.

Although the TL collection is over, it’s not too late to donate. If you are interested in donating money or toys, go online to www.toysfortots.org and select “donate toy” and then search for the closest donation location.