Almost two dozen future Marines from throughout Northern Indiana assisted with the Toys For Tots drive Saturday morning at Warsaw City Hall.

“They are individuals who have enlisted in the Marines Corps and are waiting to leave for boot camp, so they are just out here giving back to the community any way possible,” said Marines recruiter SSgt. Kevin Jones.

Toys For Tots, which provides a Christmas for needy children, was founded in 1947 by United States Marine Corps Reserve Maj. Bill Hendricks in Los Angeles, Calif. A year later, the Marines Corps adopted Toys For Tots and expanded it into a nationwide community action project.



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Jones said the recruits helping out Saturday morning were from anywhere from Warsaw and the Wawasee area, to Plymouth, down to Silver Lake and all the way east to the Ohio state line.

“So we’ve got guys from all over Northern Indiana out here helping us,” Jones said, adding there were 22 of them. “Most of them are joining for a bigger purpose than themselves, so it’s kind of a way for them to give back before they actually leave for boot camp and become that Marine. It’s just a way to give them a little taste of what it is they’re going to get themselves into.”

He said the recruits were taking part in a number of different events this month, with the Warsaw toy drive being the first.

“Specifically, mainly because we have a big group of Warsaw-based future Marines, so we want to show our support to the local community,” Jones said.

Kosciusko County Toys For Tots coordinator David Morales served as a gunnery sergeant in the U.S. Marines, starting his involvement with the Marines’ Toys For Tots program in 1988. He began coordinating Kosciusko’s program around 1991.

Morales said the start of Saturday’s toy drive concerned him.

“It was slow. It started off really slow. Concerning. But obviously, after awhile, everybody came through. The Fireman’s Association came through. Other groups have come through. A couple of the schools, Warsaw Schools, have come through. So we are doing great, and, again, as our county has always done, they pulled through, they always make it happen. I couldn’t be happier,” Morales said, pointing to the 1-1/2 trucks filled with toys and bicycles.

The toy collection will continue until Dec. 15, with the gifts delivered Dec. 16. Donations should be new, unwrapped toys for children and youth up to age 18.

Morales said anyone wanting information about the toy drive or about a donation they want to make can contact him through the website, at [email protected], or at Parkview Hospital Warsaw between 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 574-372-0065 or his cell at 574-551-9895.

“Once again, I just want to thank the whole community for coming out, people taking of their time to be here and support us, volunteering,” he said.

After over 25 years of coordinating the Kosciusko Toys For Tots program, Morales is planning to make this his last year.

WNDU channel 16 news anchor Tricia Sloma has been a part of Toys For Tots for 23 of her 25 years with the South Bend television station, broadcasting live from Warsaw with Morales for much of that time.

She said she couldn’t believe it was his last year as the coordinator, “But if it is indeed, I have to thank him. His service to this community is so incredible. And it’s not just Dave. When he comes out, he also brings his family. It’s very personal to him, and his dedication to this community is so deep and it runs deep because he lives here, his family lives here. ... But this is very deeply personal to him, and for that it’s an honor to work with him.”

Chris Cage, of Willie 103.5, said, “It’s sad. We’ve worked with Dave now since we signed on the air 11 years ago, but I don’t think he’s going to be able to walk away from it, it’s in his blood. So whoever the next person is to take over, things are going well and we’ll looking forward to the future of Toys For Tots in Kosciusko County.”

If anyone was not able to drop off donations Saturday during the toy drive, there are about 60 Toys For Tots drop-off box locations this year.

In the Warsaw area, sites include Martin’s, Menards, Parkview Hospital, Walmart, Big R, Reneker’s Sports Shop, Zoyo’s, Dental Solutions, both Owen’s locations, CVS, Walgreen’s, Monteith Tire, all Dollar General stores, Family Video, Best Deal Auto, First Federal Savings Bank, Beacon Credit Union, Warsaw City Hall, Warsaw Police Department, Warsaw Community High School, WRSW and Willie radio station, The Village at Winona, Ben’s Soft Pretzels, Old National Bank, Hamilton Realty office, Auto Credit USA, Gamestop, Express Employment Professionals office, Teachers Credit Union banks and the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department.

Trinkets For Teens at Warsaw Community High School is helping collect gifts for teens.

Financial donations can be dropped off to Morales at Parkview Hospital in Warsaw or through the Toys For Tots website.

Other drop-off locations in Kosciusko County are CVS in Syracuse; Dollar General stores in Syracuse, Milford, Mentone, North Webster and Pierceton; Lakeside Fitness in Syracuse; and Tippy Creek Winery, Leesburg.

Willie 103.5 also is hosting its annual drive through Friday. The live remote broadcast will be at Big R today and Tuesday, then at Walmart Wednesday through Friday. Times are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

Cage said all the toys collected for Toys For Tots remain in Kosciusko County.

“I believe this will be our 11th year doing it. Every year our toy numbers continue to grow. We didn’t actually count toys last year. It was just about filling up the trailer. But in years past, we’ve exceeded well over 7,000 toys, so it’s really cool throughout the week to see the trailer fill up and then we unload it to see how many toys came in, and we equal that to how many smiles there are come Christmas morning because that’s what it’s all about,” he said.

Gospel singer Susie McEntire, sister of country music legend Reba McEntire, returns to Lakeview Middle School at 7 p.m. Dec. 16 for the annual Christmas Celebration Concert to benefit Toys For Tots. Doors open at 6 p.m., with toy and monetary donations accepted at the door.