The Georgia branch of the gift-giving holiday program Toys for Tots received a record number of toy donations in 2013. According to an announcement from the Department of Defense, the program at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Ga., set out to collect 15,000 toys throughout the 2013 Christmas season. When program wrapped up this month, it received 17,000 toys – far exceeding the members' expectations.
"Thanks to the outpouring of support from the local community and surrounding counties, we had enough toys to give three to five per child," Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Johnny R. Ruby, an assistant coordinator for Toys for Tots, said in a statement.
The program at the Georgia base helped approximately 3,000 children, according to Toys for Tots coordinator Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Ernest Thompson. About 2,000 toys were also donated to a local Salvation Army, where they were given to more than 500 families.
In addition to toys, Thompson said that the Georgia branch of the organization received $3,000 in funds.
Toys for Tots began as an official Marine Corps program when it was approved by the Department of Defense in 1995. Since its inception, Toys for Tots has provided toys for more than 216 million children, according to the organization's website.