Toys For Tots kicks off holiday program

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By JOE SOVA / Hungry Horse News

Toys For Tots, a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve-sponsored program, is celebrating its 60th year of collecting, purchasing and distributing new toys to needy families across the country.

The Flathead Valley detachment is very active in Toys For Tots, operating out of Kalispell. Collection sites throughout the Valley are being arranged and will be announced later this month. The collection and distribution of toys is authorized by the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

John Olsen of Kalispell is the Flathead Valley detachment coordinator, and his wife, Lou, is assistant coordinator. Their daughter, Renae Olsen, also helps.

John is a retired major in the Marines. Lou said they heard about Toys For Tots around 20 years ago, and have been involved with the non-profit program since 1987.

Last year, through the generosity of local people, Toys For Tots was able to provide new and unwrapped toys for 1,282 children in 395 families in the Flathead Valley. A key element of Toys For Tots is that money raised through tax-deductible donations stays in the Valley, and toys collected go to local kids.

"It's wonderful. It's very well received," Lou Olsen said of Toys For Tots. "It's grown tremendously."

The first year, Toys For Tots in the Flathead provided toys for 90 kids. This year, Lou is projecting that around 1,500 area children will receive toys.

The primary goal of Toys for Tots is to "deliver, through a shiny new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to needy youngsters that will motivate them to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens and community leaders," according to the Toys For Tots Web site.

Lou said there are about 50 Toys For Tots volunteers in the Valley. The Flathead detachment gets valued help from many clubs and organizations, such as Moose, VFW, Eagles, Elks, American Legion and Disabled American Veterans, as well as Kiwanis and Lions clubs.

"I really want to thank the community for the help we get," Lou said. "I hope it happens again this year. Donations [monetary] have already come in."

Toys are picked up at drop-off sites and transported to the Blue and White Motel, behind Finnegan's Restaurant on West Idaho Street in Kalispell.

"The people at the Blue and White have been really good to us," Lou said.

This year's Toys for Tots holiday effort will be capped by two days of distribution on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 21 and 22.

For further information about Toys For Tots in the Flathead Valley, call John or Lou at 257-4043. The Toys For Tots Web site is www.toysfortots.org.