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Seventy-five years ago, Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR, was inspired to start an organization that gave back to children in need because of his wife, Diane. She had handcrafted dolls around Christmas time in 1947 and asked Bill to deliver the dolls to an organization that helped youth who were not as fortunate. After reporting back that he could find no such organization, Diane simply said to her husband: “Start one!” That year, Hendricks and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children.

That 1947 campaign was so successful that a major movement took place and Toys for Tots was born. The Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots in 1948 and expanded it into a nationwide effort. That year, Marine Corps Reserve units across the nation conducted Toys for Tots campaigns in each community in which a Marine Reserve Center was located.

The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, an IRS recognized 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit charity, was established in 1991 at the behest of the Marine Corps to help run and support the Marine Toys for Tots Program. The basic mission of Toys for Tots is to collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute those toys to less fortunate children at Christmas. The foundation raises funds, purchases toys, provides promotional and support materials, manages all funds raised and donated, solicits corporate support, educates the public and handles day-to-day operations. As it stands today, the Toys for Tots program distributes an average of 18 million toys to 7 million less fortunate children annually.

The Dare County and Currituck County Toys for Tots division distributed 3,766 toys and supported 1,000 children in 2021. Local establishments have taken the initiative to get involved in this program.

Walmart in Kitty Hawk will host a Toys for Tots Black Friday Toy Drive on Friday, November 25 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dare and Currituck Toys for Tots representatives along with local public safety agencies and the Marine Corp League (Outer Banks Detachment), will be out collecting toys for their 2022 Christmas Campaign. All are welcome to donate a new unwrapped toy or make a monetary donation.

Lost Colony Brewery’s Waterfront Beer Garden and Pub in Nags Head is selling a Toys for Tots special-aged beer, with all money going to the Dare County Toys for Tots. Also, Blue Water Grill & Raw Bar and Blue Moon Beach Grill are offering 20% off of an entrée if guests bring an unwrapped new toy while dining in support of the Toys for Tots for Dare and Currituck Counties.

On December 10, R/C Kill Devil Hills Movies 10 will host a holiday movie event starting at 10 a.m. Toys for Tots of Dare and Currituck Counties will be on site accepting unopened toys for local families.

Donors are welcome to donate toys via local toy drop off sites or make a donation online at bit.ly/3i46Xlx. Toy request applications for either a family or non-profit can be found at bit.ly/3tO8nmN.

Distribution will take place at 132 Russell Twiford Rd in Manteo and will begin on December 5 and run through December 19. The last toy drop site collection will be December 8. See below for drop-off locations. Note that in addition to the following list, all Kitty Hawk Kites locations are serving as donation sites.

Currituck County  

Lower Currituck Fire Departments (all stations)

Grave Digger’s, 5650 Caratoke Hwy., Poplar Branch

Sound Feet Shoes, 111 Fox Knoll Dr., Powells Point

Holly Ridge Golf Course, 8818 Caratoke Hwy., Harbinger

Navy Federal Credit Union, 105 Currituck Commercial Dr., Moyock

Crawford Fire Department, 121 Shawboro Rd., Moyock

Coastal Roofing & Siding, 8181 Caratoke Hwy., Powells Point

The Cottage Shop, 709 North Ocean Trail Unit G, Corolla

State Federal Credit Union, 100 Fyvie Dr., Barco

Dare County

Duck

Kellogg Supply Cottage Shop, 1201 Duck Rd.

Southern Shores

Dare County EMS Station 4, 28 East Dogwood Trail

Southern Shores Fire Department, 1 Ocean Blvd. Suite 105

Southern Shores Police Department, 5375 Virginia Dare Trail

Duck Woods Country Club, 50 South Dogwood Trail

Kitty Hawk 

Kitty Hawk Fire Department, 859 West Kitty Hawk Rd.

Walmart, 5400 North Croatan Hwy.

Seascape Golf Course, 300 West Eckner St.

Walgreens, 5312 North Virginia Dare Trail

Kitty Hawk PD, 722 West Kitty Hawk Rd.

CVS, 5547 N Croatan Hwy.

Starr Boutique, 3701 N Croatan Hwy.

Seaside Vacations, 3620 N Croatan Hwy.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty, 4900 N Croatan Hwy.

Sound Feet Shoes, 3840 N Croatan Hwy.

State Farm, 5117 N Croatan Hwy., Suite A

OBX Chevy, 6166 N Croatan Hwy.

TW’s Bait & Tackle, 3864 N Croatan Hwy.

Benjamin Moore, 3722 N Croatan Hwy.

Papa John’s, 3809 N Croatan Hwy.

Kill Devil Hills

Dare County EMS Station 1, 1632 N Croatan Hwy.

Kill Devil Hills Fire Department, 1634 N Croatan Hwy.

Kill Devil Hills Police Department, 102 Town Hall Dr.

KDH Library, 400 Mustian St.

CVS, 1101 S Croatan Hwy.

Belk, 1732 N Croatan Hwy.

Lowes, 1500 N Croatan Hwy.

Jack Brown’s, 800 S Virginia Dare Trail

Walgreens, 1200 S Croatan Hwy.

Sugar Kingdom, 1600 S Croatan Hwy.

Max’s Pizza, 1712 N Croatan Hwy.

Coldwell Banker, 2503 N Croatan Hwy.

RC 10 Movies, 1803 N Croatan Hwy.

Kellogg Supply, 300 East Atlantic St. Dare Trail

Front Porch Café, 2200 N Croatan Hwy.

Outer Banks Insurance Agency, 2009 South Croatan Hwy.

Colington Fire Department, 108 Schoolhouse Rd.

Nags Head

Nags Head Fire Department, 5314 S. Croatan Hwy.

Nags Head Police Department, 5401 S Croatan Hwy.

Tuesday Morning, 5050 S Croatan Hwy.

Yellow Submarine, 5000 S Croatan Hwy.

Outer Banks Toys, 4711 S Croatan Hwy.

Blue Moon Grill, 4104 S Virginia Dare Trail

TJ Maxx, 2210 S Croatan Hwy.

Sugar Kingdom, 6901 S Croatan Hwy.

Rock-A-Bye Baby, 4711 S Croatan Hwy.

TW’s Bait & Tackle, 2230 S Croatan Hwy.

The Cottage Shop, 5000 S Croatan Hwy.

Front Porch Café, 2515 S Croatan Hwy.

Manteo

Dare County EMS Station 2, 515 Bowsertown Rd.

Blue Water Grill, 2000 Sailfish Dr.

CVS, 1115 South US 64

State Farm Credit Union, 938 US 64

North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, 374 Airport Rd.

Front Porch Café, 300 US 64

Kellogg Supply, 917 Burnside Ave.

Elizabethan Gardens, 1411 National Park Dr.

College of The Albemarle, 202 US 64

Rodanthe

Chicomacomico Fire Department, 24297 Atlantic Dr.

Avon

Hatteras Island Boarding, 41056 NC Hwy. 12

Buxton

Hatteras Island Toys, 46928 NC Hwy. 12

Frisco

Dare County EMS Station 3, 50346 NC Hwy. 12  

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