We have completed another successful Toys for Tots drive and were able to provide a little Christmas to more than 2,000 disadvantaged children with the outpouring of support from Marines, members, families and friends of MCL Bantam Marine Detachment 743, the American Legion Riders and numerous other volunteers.

This is all in addition to the numerous individuals, businesses and organizations that supported and contributed to Toys for Tots throughout the year.

My gratitude is beyond words to all of you who helped this past year. Without each and every one of you, this program would not have been successful. Many of you return year after year, knowing the commitment this program requires and it is much appreciated.

For some of you this was your first year participating and I hope you left knowing your hard work and dedication provided hope and joy to many children.

Thank you to the many Marines who handed out hats and gloves to recipients who chose to come early on distribution day and waited in the cold for us to open the doors. Although we assure recipients that, once registered, each child will receive a bag of toys and that there is no reason for them to arrive so early, many still chose to do so.

I am grateful to all of you who worked expeditiously so we could get them out of the cold. For the past three years, we have been able to hand out the sacks full of toys to the majority of our registered children within three hours.

There is no small contribution in a program of this magnitude.Thank you again.