Toys for Tots helps provide presents under the Christmas tree

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

What if?

Jim Marlow shudders to think what it would be like if children didn’t receive any presents come Christmas time.

“There’d be kids waking up in the morning with nothing under the tree,” said Marlow.

That’s why he donates his energy and effort to help make sure that doesn’t happen.

Marlow, a member of the North Iowa Marine Corps League Detachment 859, was one of several from the unit who helped the Toys for Tots drive in the parking lot of Theisen’s in Charles City on Saturday.

The sun was shining and temps reached into the upper 30s with zero to little wind — perfect weather for gift giving.

Toys for Tots started in the late 1940s and is a non-profit organization run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve. The drive helps hand out toys to families that are less fortunate and maybe can’t afford to buy Christmas presents for their children. Almost 550 million toys have been distributed since Toys for Tots’ inception.

It was a good day for donations, said Marine Corps Reserve veteran Dale Stern.

“We’ve exceeded the previous years,” he said.

Mike Molstead Motors loaned a couple of trucks so the toys could be piled into the back of the truck beds. Theisen’s also donated toys for the drive.

Stern, along with many others, has been an integral member of this north Iowa unit that has helped distribute toys in the area.

He said he was plenty pleased about the weather, as well.

“We’ve had it where we couldn’t even keep the banner on the truck. It would blow it off,” said Stern.

Jan Stern said she gets tremendous satisfaction from helping out others. No matter if it’s two hours or two weeks of your time, she thinks it’s a great idea for people to donate their time to help with a good cause.

“I encourage people to look at organizations in their community to give back because it’s so important,” said Jan. “Many people can make a huge difference.”

The toys collected will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at the Mason City Salvation Army to people who have signed up from Floyd, Butler, Cerro Gordo, Franklin, Hancock, Winnebago, Worth and Wright counties.

Although Christmas time is the peak time for giving out toys for the Toys for Tots program, Dale Stern said sometimes that’s not always the case.

“We always have some on hand because if there’s a disaster,” said Dale. “It’s just not always Christmas, it’s year round. We use the model ‘pay it forward.’”

Hank Vogelman, Kay Slindee, Algie Slindee, Ken Miller, Dale Stern, Jan Stern, and Jim Marlow were members of the United States Marine Corps Reserve who helped out with the Theisen’s Toys for Tots drive this year.