Every year during the holiday season, the United States Marine Corps runs the corporate-funded Toys For Tots program.

Appointed area coordinators like Sycamore resident Dan Gallagher, a nine-year member of the National Marine Corps League, distribute toy collection bins to various locations. Once the bins are in place, people have the opportunity to donate new, unwrapped toys for needy children.

Gallagher described the Marine Corps League as “a group that does things for the community.” He added that it is primarily made up of former Marines, as well as some who are still active.

People often have wondered why such a strict criteria, requiring toys to be new and unwrapped, exists for toy donations. Three factors initiated this policy, which began in 1980.

First was a change in training schedules for Reserve Marines. In the past, the reservists spent their weekends during the holiday season refurbishing old toys, but this activity was replaced in 1980 with training programs initiated under Secretary of Defense, Caspar W. Weinberger.

Increased public attention given to the relationship between health and toys caused concern that used toys could spread germs and illness.

The final factor, according to the Toys For Tots Web site, is that old toys do not represent the message the Marines desire to send out to children. As a whole, the Marines feel that by delivering only new toys, they also are delivering a message of hope and letting them know that someone cares.

“Toys are distributed to the appropriate children with the help of churches and individual citizens who know of needy children, as well as the state government,” Gallagher said. “Other agencies will contact me as well.

“I was more or less handed down the position,” he said, but he added that he still maintains a cheerful disposition about his responsibilities.

The Toys For Tots program started in 1947, when Major Bill Hendricks’ wife, Diane, suggested that an organization be created for collecting and giving away toys to children in need during the holiday season. With the help of other Marine Corps members, Hendricks managed to collect and give away about 5,000 toys. The program was such a success that the following year, the United States Marine Corps decided to dub the program its own.

That same year, the train logo for the organization, still in use today, was created by Walt Disney.

Since 1956, a plethora of celebrities have given their time and talents in order to help make the organization an even larger success. Among these include Nat “King” Cole, Bob Hope, Tim Allen and former First Lady Barbara Bush.

Because of budget cuts, the Marine Corps was no longer able to pay for the creating, manufacturing, publishing or distributing of promotional and support materials needed to advertise the charity. Because of this, an official Toys For Tots foundation was created in 1991.

According to the Web site, the Marines, with the help of corporations such as Coca-Cola and Visa USA, have distributed over 272 million toys to 133 million needy children all over the country.

Toys can be donated to the program at the Eagle Food Store, 1401 S. 4th St., Tom Spark’s Buick, 216 S. 1st St., the American National Bank of DeKalb County, 913 S. 4th St. and Best Western, 1212 W. Lincoln Highway.

Additional locations can be found in both Sycamore and Genoa.

In Sycamore, toys can be donated at the Coldwell Banker Reality, Brown’s County Market, Matejka Clinic, Sycamore Library, Sycamore Armory, Autozone, DeKalb County Clerk and Treasurer’s office and DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.

Genoa locations include Resource Bank, Citizen’s Bank, Genoa Library and A.G. Communications.