It’s Easy to Make a Child Smile

Fifty years ago, a childless couple launched what became one of the most successful holiday toy drives for needy children. The Toys for Tots program, which has distributed 220 million gifts to children nationwide, began with a rag doll made by the wife of a Warner Bros. publicist and continues today with thousands of donation boxes outside stores and offices.

Last week, William Hendricks was honored posthumously with a U.S. Department of the Navy Meritorious Public Service Medal for creating and promoting Toys for Tots with his wife, Diane. Hendricks died in 1992 after spending more than half his life using his studio connections to enlist celebrities like John Wayne and Ronald Reagan in the cause, which is administered by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.

The medal is deserved, but perhaps the highest honor for Hendricks would be for residents to reach into their pockets to buy a new toy for a kid who might otherwise get nothing this holiday season. Toys for Tots is just one of the myriad charities collecting gifts and food for needy families across northern Los Angeles County.

Few of us will ever achieve the beneficence of William Hendricks, but we all can brighten someone’s day. All it takes is a few bucks or few minutes. Most of us can spare it.