The Toys for Tots beloved mascot, Gunny Bear, is defrosting and ready for another holiday season. While the holiday season is exciting and magical, it can also be a difficult time for some families. The holidays are a time for giving, so let’s give Gunny Bear a magical season he will never forget!
Since 1947, Toys for Tots has distributed over 708 million toys for 314 million children. This year at the High School, Ms. Ferrelli and Mrs. Hieronymous’s Advisory are collecting donations for Toys for Tots. Students can bring in a new or unwrapped toy. The donations will then be sent to the Bedford Police Department. Sergeant Remy Waldner explains how the distribution process works. There are two major categories of the distribution, nonprofit organizations and family application. The Southern NH chapter of Toys for Tots deals mostly with nonprofit organizations, such as churches and hospitals. Specific organizations throughout town will have a box to collect donations in, then the Bedford Police Department will come and collect it. At the police station, the toys are sorted into categories by age, such as boys 3-5, or girls 10-12. Those toys are further divided into groups of 10, and sent out to the organizations as they send in their applications for how many toys they will need.
Kids of all ages will receive toys, so it is important to think of adolescents, and teenagers as well as younger kids. The two age categories that receive the least amount of toys are kids that are newborns to two years old, and boys and girls 10-12. Last year, a 13+ age category was added, however, nowhere near enough donations were received, resulting in $60,000 having to be spent in order to meet the quota. In Southern NH in 2024, a total of 60,032 toys were distributed among 28,779 children, which means each child receives 2-3 toys. Unfortunately, this year, they have received less donations from NH than the past few years. Even donating one toy helps. The difference between not donating and donating one toy may seem small, or insignificant, but that is not true. Two toys is exactly enough to help one child have a happier holiday.
To learn more about this incredible organization, go to toysfortots.org. To request a toy, go to toysfortots.org/request-a-toy/.
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