COUNTYWIDE : Donations Slow in Toys for Tots Drive
Donations to the annual Toys for Tots drive are falling short of the goal by nearly half in Ventura County this year, a Marine Corps spokesman said Tuesday.
With less than a week left in the campaign, the Marine Corps has had “significant difficulty” in collecting the 20,000 toys it hopes to donate to less fortunate children during the holidays, said Capt. Richard Johnson.
In most years, the corps would have received more than 12,000 toys from the public by now, Johnson said. He estimated that only 7,000 had been donated by Tuesday.
Johnson blamed the sluggish drive on a weak economy and a short holiday season following the later-than-usual Thanksgiving. “The holidays are sneaking up on a lot of people,” Johnson said.
There are more than 200 drop-off boxes located in the county for donations at all branches of Bank of America and the Bank of A. Levy and at all fire stations, Johnson said.
For further information, call the Marine Corps Reserve Training Center at 982-4345.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
