The U.S. Marine Corps is launching its annual charity program which aims to make the holidays brighter for thousands of needy children across Iowa and Nebraska. Sergeant Kyle DeBlieck is coordinating this year’s Toys for Tots campaign for the bi-state region which he says relies on people’s good will to be a success.

“You can donate a new, unwrapped toy to a collection site,” DeBlieck says. “We have over 500 drop sites this year.” Folks who are interested in contributing toys to the cause need to get moving as the final pick-ups will be done November 13th through the 15th.

DeBlieck says, “Once the toys are back here, we’ll sort through them by age groups, from birth all the way up through 14, and then we will box them up and send them off to our 75 agencies that will distribute them to the children of the community.” DeBlieck says the Corps has set a lofty goal because many families across the region are in poor financial shape this year.

He says, “Our need this year is looking to be 23,000 children so we’re trying to support that many with an average of two toys per child, is my goal.” DeBlieck says the toys collected in this program will be going to children from eastern Iowa all the way west to Grand Island, Nebraska. Learn more about where you can donate by county in Iowa at “toysfortots.org”.