UTC Supports Marines Toys for Tots Foundation with $80,000 Donation
Employee volunteers help to shop and deliver toy donation.
On a blustery early December morning, nearly 40 UTC volunteers from across the company convened at two Toys “R” Us locations to make UTC’s $80,000 donation to the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots foundation a reality. Employee volunteers, wearing UTC “Make Things Better” sweatshirts, fanned out across the two stores in Connecticut and endeavored to find just the right gifts to make a local child’s Christmas brighter.
Shopping for toys was the easy part of the event – each employee received a dollar target for shopping and suggestions on which toys were needed most. The hard work came when more than 4,600 toys needed to be unloaded at the Marines headquarters in Plainville, Conn. Despite the heavy lifting, spirits were high with volunteers, as they knew these toys would go to children who really need them. The Marines retained a portion of the $80,000 donation to spend nearer to the holiday, when they have a better idea of what toys they need most.
This event – the first of its kind – is part of a 33-year relationship that UTC has with the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation. Over the past three decades, UTC and the company’s employees have helped the Marines provide over 460,000 toys to needy families in the Hartford area.
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Background
Toys for Tots began in 1947 when Major Bill Hendricks and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. Over the 64 years of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, Marines have distributed more than 400 million toys to more than 188 million needy children. In total, over the last three decades, UTC’s support has helped deliver nearly 460,000 toys for needy families.
As a responsible corporate citizen, United Technologies seeks to engage and enrich the communities where our employees live and work and where we do business. To support vibrant communities, United Technologies partners with leading organizations, such as Marine Corps Reserves’ Toys for Tots, to make certain our community investment produces meaningful and positive results. To learn more about UTC’s commitment to the community, visit UTC.com/MakeThingsBetter.
Click here to view a news clip from NBC30 featuring this Toys for Tots event. The clip features Danielle Smith and Brian Lebell, both UTC employees.
