Marines and Salvation Army Join Forces for 7th Annual Toys for Tots Drive in Western Clinton County

By Kevin Rauch

RENOVO – With their collection in full swing, the Renovo Salvation Army and Bucktail Detachment Marine Corp League have once again combined forces to hold their annual Toys for Tots Drive, which will ultimately make Christmas morning a lot merrier for kids throughout western Clinton County.

Last year 56 families and 104 total kids received presents from Santa with assistance from the area volunteers and the helpers are gearing up to assist households again this holiday season.

The collaboration between the Marines and the Salvation Army’s Robin Davenport and her teammates began seven years ago.

“John Tarantella approached us about helping them out, the Bucktail Detachment did this on their own for many, many years” Davenport explained about the partnerships origins. “We had the space and the man power, but more importantly, just as the Marines had set as a blue print, people that care and want to help struggling families over the holidays” Davenport said.

The familiar canisters and cardboard toy donation boxes have been placed in area businesses and are ready for donations. As hopes are high that both will be filled by the community members over the next several weeks, it’s then that the work will begin for the temporary elves.

On December 16 the Marines and Salvation Army volunteers will gather up the canisters and boxes and the sorting and organizing will begin at the 7th Street Methodist Church, which is also home to the Salvation Army extension unit.

Once the small mountain of toys, enough that even Santa would be impressed, are gathered they are then separated into categories for boys and girls and ages. The site would put anyone into the holiday spirit as just about any type of toy that can be imagined ends up ready for the day that parents can come and pick them up in the days before Christmas.

Even wrapping paper and ribbons and bows will be passed onto the parents to make their Christmas mornings even more complete.

“This becomes a massive undertaking, but along with the Marines’ help, our volunteers pull it off every year” Davenport said of the toy drive. Davenport repeatedly praised all of those who help, particularly naming Anni Scrimshaw, Gary Mann and Cindy Probst as key volunteers that are always at the ready for anything that she asks of them.

Signups, which must be completed by parents or legal guardians, will be held November 27 at the extension unit on 7th Street. Anyone wishing to make monetary donations may do so by sending a check made out to “Toys for Tots” and can be dropped off at 7th Street or mailed to Salvation Army PO Box 139 Renovo PA 17764.