Relax, Santa, the local Marine Corps League has everything under control. This holiday season, community veterans will again spearhead the annual Toys for Tots campaign in Mesa County.

The group’s goal is to “deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.”

Although the program has been around for more than 50 years, Toys for Tots became an official activity of the U.S. Marine Corps and an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve in 1995, when it was approved by the Secretary of Defense. Local, trained coordinators tackle the challenge of organizing the event each holiday season. Over its lifespan, volunteers have distributed more than 512 million toys to make a difference to 237 million less fortunate children at Christmastime.

Overseeing this year’s Mesa County Toys for Tots drive is Michael Davis, coordinator and member of the local Marine Corps League. Davis has coordinated the effort since 2010.

“When I came on board, I worked in conjunction with the Salvation Army,” he said. “It was a big undertaking. At that time there was a coordinator in Montrose and Delta who helped me get started.”

After that initial support, Davis and his cadre of volunteers were on their own.

To participate in the program, families access the Grand Junction Toys for Tots website to complete some personal information and add their children’s names and ages. During a specified time window, parents can request certain toys that their children might like. The only eligibility criteria are a verifiable identity and Mesa County residency, which can be confirmed with a phone bill or something similar.

While families are applying to receive toys for their children or grandchildren, Davis and his corps of volunteers are busy collecting toys. Large, well-marked collection boxes are set up in locations throughout the county. Businesses and organizations can sign up online to be a collection site. Anyone wishing to donate new, unwrapped toys to the program simply places them in one of the collection boxes. Volunteers pick up the toys and transport them to the distribution site, where they are sorted and organized by age level.

Ultimately, the process results in lots of toys for lots of kids. As donations come in, they are sorted, bagged and marked for a particular family. If a requested toy has not been donated locally, monetary donations may be used to supply that item.

Distribution takes place on December 16 and 17, when parents are invited to come to the center to pick up their bag. They can also browse for stocking stuffers and other gifts at that time. Then they take everything home and put it under the tree, and the kids never know the toys come from anywhere else.

“It’s a heartwarming experience when parents come in,” Davis said. “They often are so overwhelmed—they just break into tears. They know their kids wouldn’t have a Christmas without this opportunity. And we receive plenty of emails and notes thanking us for the generosity.”

Davis said that community support of the Toys for Tots program is amazing. The Grand Junction fire and police departments give large donations each year. Restaurants frequently hold special promotions with a percentage of the proceeds going to Toys for Tots. Many businesses and organizations encourage participation from employees, or serve as drop-off sites for toys.

Toys for Tots volunteers keep the group and its focus at the forefront during the holidays by participating in community events. A Toys for Tots float appears in the Parade of Lights in Grand Junction, Fruita and Palisade.

The effect of the program on the Grand Junction area has been impressive.

“Last year, 1,410 local kids received gifts for Christmas,” Davis said. “But the collection doesn’t stop there. Even after the distribution date is over, we leave the boxes out through December. Any donations we receive are stored for the next year or emergencies.”

Davis, who lives in Gunnison County after retiring from the Marines, does a lot of the work remotely. For most of the year, he travels to Grand Junction weekly, and more often during the holiday season. The success of the program speaks to the dedication of his volunteer staff.

“There are Marine reservists all across the Western Slope who want to stay connected, and are involved with the Toys for Tots program in the Grand Junction unit. No matter where they are, many volunteer to help with the project in Mesa County to make sure kids have Christmas,” Davis said.

For details, contact Toys for Tots at 628-5071 or [email protected], or visit www.grand-junction-co.toysfortots.org.