U.S. Marines Air Station Futenma, Okinawa Japan- Two U.S. Marine Units were honored for their contributions above and beyond in the annual 2008 Toys for Tots Christmas Drive.
Units stationed overseas in Okinawa hold a friendly competition each year seeing which unit can collect toys for the program.? Combat Logistics Regiment 37 was proud to donate 240 individually wrapped Toys for the program, while Marine Air Control Squadron 4 contributed 148 Toys.
There was a brief ceremony that honored the two Marine Units, and their efforts to bring joy and happiness to children that do not have the means to have much of a Christmas without the Toy Drive.
Worldwide there were only eight awards presented this year in recognition of the achievements by Marine Corps Units in the Toys for Tots program ,and two of these eight awards were earned by the Okinawa Units.
About 70 percent of the toys were given out in the local Okinawa community, and some are slated to be given out during the annual Cobra Gold U.S. Marine Exercise in Thailand. There were over 100,000 Toys collected in the Okinawa program this year, and it was seen as a successful year for the Toys for Tots program.