[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17348]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
               27TH CENTRE COUNTY TOYS FOR TOTS CAMPAIGN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, in 1947, Major Bill 
Hendricks, with the support of his Los Angeles Marine Corps Reserve 
unit, collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. Since the 
program's adoption nationally as Toys for Tots in 1948, the U.S. Marine 
Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots program has collected and distributed 
close to 500 million toys.
  On Monday, I had the honor of attending the Centre County Toys for 
Tots' kickoff breakfast in central Pennsylvania. Chaired by Gene 
Weller, a retired Marine major, 2013 marks the 27th Centre County Toys 
for Tots campaign, organized by the Nittany Leathernecks Detachment 
302. About 250 collection points around Centre County will accept new, 
unwrapped toys, books, and games for infants to teenagers until 
December 15. This program has grown with the support of area food 
banks, fire departments, businesses, and hundreds of local volunteers.
  Mr. Speaker, over the past 10 years, Marines have distributed an 
annual average of 15 million toys, bringing joy to an average of more 
than 6.3 million less fortunate children each year.
  We thank you in more ways than one every day, Marines, and I thank 
you for supporting these children in need.

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