Photos by Mary Alice Murphy
Toys for Tots 2017
Toys for Tots 2017
Elf Krislynn Golden, Santa Claus AKA Rocky Hildebrand and Elf Olga Sarli wait for a child to come tell Santa what he or she wants for Christmas
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Toys for Tots 2017
Nehemiah Bustamante, 2, is not sure he wants to visit Santa, but he'll get this close with his dad, Michael Bustamante.
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Toys for Tots 2017
Marc Contreras, 9, Olivia Koch, 2, and Theresa Koch partake of refreshments in front of the Christmas trees.
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Toys for Tots 2017
The ladies who register the kids and send back requests, from left are Lupe Flores, Abbie Aloisio, and Rebecca Lopez, with one of the organizers Robert Lopez behind them.
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Toys for Tots 2017
Members of the Gaffney-Oglesby Marine Corps League Detachment 1328 Frank Donohue and John Sterle help out.
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Toys for Tots 2017
Marine Marc MacDonald directs traffic inside the building
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Toys for Tots 2017
The helpers in the back who send out the toy requests are from left, Joe Nerling, Janet Nerling, Amy Burns, Roxanne Madrid and Danna Lopez, the head organizer.
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Toys for Tots 2017
Marine Ben Collins asks those arriving to enter through the side door.
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Danna Lopez, and her husband Robert, each year head up theToys for Tots organized locally by the Gaffney-Oglesby Marine Corps League Detachment 1328. More than 2,000 gifts were donated throughout the community.
According to Danna Lopez, this year about 1,300 gifts were distributed to all the Grant County schools, with the exception of one, Harrison Schmitt Elementary, which chose not to participate. The other schools had organizers within the schools who wrapped and individually chose gifts for their students.
In addition, toys were distributed through El Refugio, Sierra Counseling, CYFD, HeadStart, Children's Medical Services, Gospel Mission, First Born, Life Quest, and Fort Bayard Medical Center.
On Saturday, Dec. 23, 2017, those families who had signed up for toys for their children could pick them up that day. In addition, drop-ins were welcome to request toys.
One man, after he had picked up something for his granddaughter, said he was almost in tears. "I didn't have the money to buy something for my granddaughter, but now I have something to give her." He said it is s a wonderful service to help people like him out.