Denise's Corner

Disney VoluntEARS Collect & Deliver 30,000 Toys for U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Drive (Photos & Video)

Denise ,  , 

Hi everyone!

We were invited yesterday to the local Toys for Tots distribution warehouse as some of the 30,000 toys collected by Disney VoluntEARS were delivered. This event combined four of my favorite things – Disney, Christmas, children’s charities, and the Marine Corps, the latter a family tradition. Disney VoluntEARS turned 35 years old this year, and Walt Disney himself supported Toys for Tots starting in its second year, including having his art department design the train logo still used today. I had forgotten that until recently. There is a nice page in the Jeff Kurtti book “From All of us to All of You: The Disney Christmas Card”, which I reviewed that talks about his involvement. Kurtti writes about the history of Toys for Tots and how when Disneyland opened, it became a Toys for Tots drop-off location. So there is a very long history of Disney partnership, really since the beginning.

Santa Goofy even made an appearance yesterday, as the gifts were delivered in Minnie Vans. Keep reading for photos and our video with interviews about the event.

Stephen Lim is one of the two new Walt Disney World Ambassadors, and told us about how Disney VoluntEars here has partnered with Toys for Tots for 15 years.

Here is our video with interviews, and then the rest of our article.

Two Disney VoluntEARS deliver toys. A little about the history of Disney VoluntEARS: The Walt Disney Company says that “In 1983, Disneyland Resort Cast Members expressed a desire to form a team focused on providing meaningful service to the community.” After that, it went company wide in 1992. Thousands of hours are donated every year.

Many of the toys being donated were Disney toys, including plush.

Toys for Tots donation signage was on some of the boxes, including this Toy Story themed art.

The back of the Disney VoluntEARS shirt.

U.S. Marines and Disney VoluntEARS deliver gifts into the warehouse. They will be given to children later this month.

A U.S. Marine holds a Mike and Sulley plush.

Boxes of toys line the warehouse.

Santa Goofy arrived for photos with everyone.

Here is one of the U.S. Marines with Goofy x 2.

Other U.S. Marines pose with Goofy.

Walt Disney World Ambassadors Marilyn West and Stephen Lim joined Brandon Peters from the 2017-2018 Ambassador team, as well as the U.S. Marines and Goofy.

Goofy stuck around for a while, he lent a lot of holiday cheer to the event.

For more information about the Central Florida Toys for Tots, click here.