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Toys troop out with a military precision

Toys for Tots distributes presents with the help of ROTC cadets, donated space and waves of generosity.

By STEVE BAAL
Published December 19, 2005

	[Times photos: Kathleen Flynn]
	Benita Perez of Oldsmar looks through a pile of stuffed animals during the Toys for Tots distribution in Largo on Saturday. Concurrent Technologies provided a site after the Marine Corps League lost its usual space. "It helps me very much," Perez said. "I'm very happy with the toys." She has five children.
	Volunteer Isis Santiago-Tirado, 14, of Dunedin holds up a Barbie dress and toys to be given away during the distribution. "Our reward is the fact that people will have a Christmas," Isis said.

LARGO - Outside Concurrent Technologies' Largo warehouse Saturday, a dreary rain drenched the parking lot.

But inside, the sun was shining on a thousand North Pinellas parents who had faced the prospect of a Christmas with no presents under the tree.

"This is an amazing thing," said 27-year-old Bridgett Armstrong of Largo, as she left with bags of goodies for her five children, including a bicycle for her 9-year-old daughter.

All the gifts were free, thanks to the Marine Corps League and their annual Toys for Tots campaign.

"I never could have afforded presents like these," said Armstrong, who works at McDonald's.

Such sentiments are the reason why the Clearwater Marine Corps League puts in such a huge effort for their annual program.

"It's something we work year round on," said Pete Kristall, chairman of the Toys for Tots program.

Toys for Tots started as an effort in a California Marine Reserve unit in 1946 and has spread nationally through the Marine Corps League, an organization for anyone who has ever served as a Marine, according to Clearwater Marine Corps League Commandant Wayne Morgan.

"Toys for Tots is a tradition as proud as the Marines," said Kristall, of Seminole.

But the effort in North Pinellas nearly died this year after the closing of the Clearwater Armory, where the toy distribution had been held for 10 years.

"We needed a space big enough to handle the all the toys and accommodate our clients and volunteers, and that's not easy to find," said Kristall. "We were definitely worried."

Several businesses offered space. Concurrent Technologies was chosen partly because it had plenty of parking.

Saturday, the toy distribution was handled with an unsurprising military precision. More than 40,000 toys, games, dolls and stuffed animals, donated by businesses, organizations and individuals, were arranged and separated by age and gender.

Jennifer Willmott, 27, of Largo, said medical bills for her three special-needs children had crowded out thoughts of the season. "It's wonderful to know there's people like this who are here to help you out when you don't know where the money is going to come from at such a special time for your kids as Christmas," she said.

One parent per family was allowed inside and small groups were allowed in every 15 minutes. Every fourth person in line was allowed to pick one of 224 bikes on hand.

"With a thousand people coming through here, we need to make the process as easy and accessible as possible," Kristall said. "Beyond the toys for their kids, we try to give parents the gift of enjoying the experience of picking out presents."

The parents were also assigned escorts, some of them bilingual, to help select and carry items. Many of the 250 escorts included Marine, Army and Navy ROTC cadets from Clearwater, Dunedin, Gibbs and Dixie Hollins high schools.

Other volunteers included employees from Concurrent Technologies and the Home Shopping Network, which had provided 20 volunteers a day for three weeks to help sort the gifts. The 150 Clearwater Marine Corps League members were also there, many of them with their families.

"We live to do Toys For Tots," said Katie Waugh of Tarpon Springs, whose husband, Mike, is a member. "This is the highlight of the season."

Katie Robinson, 39, a Clearwater mother of three, said her children would be grateful for the gifts. "My kids don't make lists for Christmas," said Robinson, as she left with a skateboard, a football, watches and a model airplane kit. "This year they'll be thrilled."

The parents said they were grateful mainly for others' generosity.

"God bless the people who organize this," said Maurice Mack, 44, a mother of one who is also caring for three of her sisters' children. "And double bless everyone who donated gifts to make it all possible."

[Last modified December 19, 2005, 01:38:18]