Toys for Tots is a non-profit charity founded by the Marine Corps Reserve in 1991. Their mission is to spread hope and holiday cheer by donating new toys to underprivileged children across America.
Melissa High School’s Health Organization Students of America (HOSA) club will once again hold their annual toy drive in partnership with Toys for Tots. They will sponsor a kickoff event on Nov. 2 with a community-wide collection during the varsity football game against Lovejoy at Coach Kenny Deel Stadium.
Everyone attending the game is encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy with them to donate. The toys can be for all ages and genders; however, no food or toy weapons will be accepted. Last year, HOSA collected 300 toys. This year, they hope to beat that amount and gather 500 toys to donate. Whether students and faculty attend the game or not, they can still donate toys to any Melissa ISD campus.
“Toys for Tots allows families experiencing hardships at the holidays to still provide a Christmas experience for their children,” health science teacher and HOSA advisor Hallie Venner said. “A hardship could be a financial situation or even a health-related situation that prevents a traditional Christmas experience from happening.”
