Our Toy Story

In November of 2003, a group of veterans in Sacramento, California, sought a way to acknowledge the dedication and service of parents serving in uniform and those killed since 9/11. Many of these military personnel sacrifice everything while being separated from their families during the Holidays. The beneficiaries of the first annual toy drive were the families at Travis Air Force Base and the California National Guard. The goal was to provide two toys per child of every military parent deployed overseas.

The first effort in 2003 was a booming success; all requests from both Travis AFB and the California National Guard were fulfilled.

Based on the overwhelming response and the volume of toys collected in 2003, Toys for the Troops' Kids was born, expanded the scope for Christmas 2004 and added the families of Beale AFB to the list of beneficiaries. Again, the toy drive far exceeded expectations for all three military commands.

In 2005, the toy drive took another big step and added Lemoore Naval Air Station to the now- growing list of beneficiaries receiving toys for the kids of troops serving overseas. For Christmas, 2005, the toy drive once again exceeded expectations. In succeeding years, the toy drive has expanded to cover all of California and Nevada. As many as 25,000 toys have been distributed in a single year and over 100,000 toys have been distributed since the beginning of this incredible effort.

Past toy drives, as well as last year's effort, were all made possible by the co-sponsorship of generous benefactors, as well as individual donations of new, unwrapped toys, cash and other in-kind services. The Peter P. Bollinger Investment Co. has graciously provided the use of its properties as major collection sites for the toy drive at the Citrus Town Center in Citrus Heights and the Lake Crest Village Shopping Center in Sacramento as well as our new collection site this year at The Fountains in Roseville! The Sunrise MarketPlace has contributed invaluable administrative and media efforts. Finally, the cities of Citrus Heights and Sacramento have provided equipment and traffic control for the many contributors who come to our major collection sites to support the US military families with gifts of toys.

Toys for the Troops Kids, Inc, is a non-profit California corporation created with tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service and the California Franchise Tax Board, so that all donations, whether monetary or in-kind, can be considered tax-deductible for the donor. We are an all-volunteer group, with no paid staff. All cash donations are used to purchase toys or are applied to administrative expenses such as insurance, transportation and distribution of toys. Brave and very special Dads and Moms, separated from their spouses and children at Christmas, have promised us that, for so long as they wear the uniform, we will be safe. We at Toys for the Troops' Kids think that our efforts are the least that we can offer to thank them for their sacrifice.

With your help, we will continue our efforts to put a smile on the face of a kid whose parent cannot be there this year at Christmas time.