Marine Toys for Tots Foundation

2008 began with changes. On January 31st, after nearly fifteen years, LtGen Matthew T. Cooper, USMC (Ret) stepped aside as President & CEO. The Board of Directors selected LtGen H. P. Osman, USMC (Ret) as his successor. In March, the Foundation staff moved into their newly constructed headquarters just outside the main gate of Marine Corps Base, Quantico. The new headquarters was dedicated by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James T. Conway, and was named the Cooper Center on March 28, 2009. During the early summer months, corporate donations were at an all time high, and the staff was very optimistic about the upcoming campaign. Early fall saw the economy collapse and the demand for toys escalate. Nonetheless, the staff remained optimistic that support form the American public and our corporate sponsors would remain strong. It did. Marines continued to be deployed around the globe, and remain behind staff and volunteers persistently faced and overcame the many challenges associated with carrying out successful campaigns. Local campaigns were conducted in 657 communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands – an increase of 53 sites from 2007. Marines and volunteers distributed over 16.2 million toys to 7.6 million children – one of our best years. The Foundation was able to supplement local collections with over 6.7 million toys valued at over $60 million.