Marines make Christmas merry
The marines all posed together. Photos by Kat Sheridan
The marines load the toys onto a truck for transport.
Two of the three trucks filled with toys.
The marines all posed together. Photos by Kat Sheridan
The marines load the toys onto a truck for transport.
Two of the three trucks filled with toys.
Lantz Law, USA Wealth Advisors and Lantz Family Insurance Agency have set up a Marine Corp’s Toys for Tots box in their office for about 15 years. This year, Tree Unit Inc. brought 12 boxes filled with toys to the office, where they were greeted and thanked by five members of the Marine Corps and three active marines.
“I think the Marines, it’s all about serving not only overseas and everything that everyone thinks the Marine Corps does, but it’s also at home,” said Marine recruiter Gabriel Medeiros, “So making sure every kid gets a toy for Christmas.”
The Marine Corp has been setting up donation boxes across the country for many years, when the Marine Corps Reserve started the drive before the Vietnam War. After the war, the Marine Corp League took over the drive.
“We’re keeping a tradition going,” said Kenny Jandreau, a Marine Sergeant, “So we just kept the good thing going, as the saying goes.”
Pete Lantz owns the office and businesses that were hosting a Toy for Tots box. He is a fourth generation Marine, and when the co-owner of Tree Unit Inc. Robert Heaberlin came and asked to donate toys, he wanted to have other Marines in uniform there to greet them.
“We just think that it’s important to give back when our community has given back to us,” said Heaberlin. “We were lucky enough to have the help of a few local businesses that helped us collect all the good amount of toys to give back to kids in our own community.”
The donated toys will go to My Brother’s Keeper, which will help the charity serve an estimated 3,500 families, about 13,000 people across 100 cities and towns.
“It’s outstanding,” said Lantz. “It’s excellent work for the kids in need.”
