B4LAR Does Toys For Tots B4 Leaving

Beats me how Marines of Bravo 4th LAR found the time to saddle up for Afghanistan, train and still manage to squeeze in Toys for Tots on Nov 5th. 2009. B4 LAR is Awesome!

By Marine Sgt. William Burwell

Special to The Standard

Marines from Bravo Company, 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion teamed with local Girl Scouts Nov. 5 to purchace nearly $10,000 in toys for the annual Toys for Tots campaign.

FREDERICK, Md. - Marines of Bravo Company 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion held their annual toys buy, Nov. 5, at Frederick’s Toys R Us.

This Time every year for the last few years, Toys R Us donates funds to the local Toys for Tots campaign.These funds are then used to purchase toys that are later distributed to local families in need.

This year nearly $10,000 in toys were purchased to assist in the efforts to ensuring every child has a toy this Christmas.

The Marines of Bravo Company were happy to help local Girl Scouts pick toys that would best suit the children of four different age groups.

Michelle Bowman of the Frederick Police Department and Sgt Wolbert of Bravo Company headed up the efforts to coordinate the event and ensured its success.

Each Girl Scout was given a gift certificate of $250 to spend on a specific age group and gender.

The Scouts, with the help of a Marine, then shopped for the best gifts they could find for those who may be in need this year.

The main effort was to buy toys for age groups that receive the fewest donations. More often then not, when toys are donated, they are for ages 3-8 and for boys more often then girls.

Doing a toy buy allows the Marines to supplement the age groups that do not get as many donations throughout the season.