The Marine Corp League Iron Mountain Detachment is running its sixth annual Toys for Tots campaign
IRON MOUNTAIN -- It started off as a small operation six years ago with only 75 kids. Now the Marine Corp League's Iron Mountain Detachment annual Toys for Tots drive is helping close to 500 kids per year in Dickinson, Iron, and Florence counties wake up with presents on Christmas morning.
"Each year a few more children came on board and obviously our economy is a deterrent so to speak,” said Iron Mountain Detachment founder, Skip Bilsky. “But the community fills in and it's worked out. We've never turned down any children."
Toys for Tots rely on both financial and toy donations from the community, and now local businesses are jumping on board. Super One Foods in Iron Mountain has been asking customers for donations and has collected thousands of dollars for Toys for Tots so far.
"In most cases, customers seem very, very supportive of this idea,” said Super One grocery manager, Tracy Miller. “In turn that makes everybody very, very thankful for it."
Super One will continue asking for donations up to Christmas.
The Marine Corp and other volunteers will continue collecting donations until Christmas Eve.
For the volunteers, making a sure every kid wakes up with a toy on Christmas morning makes all the work worth it.
"We don't promise X amount of toys, but we promise that it will put a smile on their faces,” Bilsky said. “So we go home and sleep pretty good at night, and my volunteers jump on this like you can't believe."
To donate, you can visit the Marine Corp League Iron Mountain Detachment in the Kmart Plaza in Iron Mountain. You can also call for more information at (906) 282-5614 for Dickinson County residents or (906) 282-5620 for Iron County residents.
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