[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 2 (Thursday, January 5, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E48-E49]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           SEMPER FI FOR TOTS

                                 ______


                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 4, 1995
  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the 
excellent Toys for Tots program that has operated in Bay County since 
1980 under the able and sincerely appreciated leadership of Gunnery 
Sergeant Robert K. Greenleaf of the Marine Corps Reserve. It is most 
important for all of us to remember that we can always do more to help 
our neighbors, especially children, and the 
[[Page E49]] Toys for Tots program is one which we should all support.
  Toys for Tots was started in 1947 by Major William Hendricks in Los 
Angeles County. He began the program through the Marine Corps Reserve 
when he saw that there was no other program which provided toys for 
children on Christmas morning. The program expanded throughout the 
country just one year later. Today, having provided toys to over 100 
million children since its inception, Toys for Tots reaches around the 
world. The Marine Corps Reserve has carried forth its motto of Semper 
Fidelis--``Always Faithful''--to their support for children.
  No national program becomes successful without the active involvement 
of key people in each locality. Sergeant Greenleaf has done an 
outstanding job of running the program in my home county, Bay County, 
since 1980. That first year he helped bring smiles to 263 children, and 
last year helped bring more than 24,500 toys to nearly 6,500 children. 
He did this as a volunteer, in addition to his duties as a Bay City 
police officer.
  And at this time of year, he puts in enough hours to rival Santa 
himself, as he pulls double duty between the time as a police officer 
and the hours necessary to make Toys for Tots the continuing success 
that it is. His belief that no child should wake up Christmas morning 
without a smile is a philosophy that all of us should support.
  Toys for Tots is a wonderful program that is in many of our home 
communities. I urge all of our colleagues to actively support this 
annual campaign and make sure to provide an extra thank you to Gunnery 
Sergeant Robert K. Greenleaf and his colleagues responsible for each of 
these local programs.


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