Though many bemoan the calendar creep of Christmas, one early sign of the holidays made a welcome debut Wednesday in Baltimore City Hall.
City Council President Bernard C. "Jack" Young, in collaboration with the Business Participation Initiative, announced the kick off of the Toys for Tots drive. The plan is to use up to 200 local businesses and large office buildings as collection sites for the annual toy drive. Businesses interested in being a collection point should contact Young's office.
The collection boxes are large enough to a bounty of toys, like a few bicycles, board games, action figures, and other fun holiday surprises for children in need.
Toys for Tots is a program run by United States Marine Corps Reserve that distributes toys to children whose parents can't afford to buy them gifts. The drive collects new, unwrapped toys, and aims to be a message of hope to children across the country.
Last year, the inaugural drive collected $19,500 worth of toys, the Council President's office said.
