An anonymous donor’s generous gift will make Christmas extra special this year for needy children in Del Mar, California.
Geppetto’s Toys store owner, Brian Miller, got an early start on Veterans Day last week when the unnamed philanthropist’s helpers showed up to the store to buy $50,561 worth of toys to donate to the U.S. Marines’ Toys for Tots program.
“It was cool to do this on Veterans Day and I’m just happy to be a part of it,” Miller told the Del Mar Times.
“It’s very interesting that they want to remain anonymous, they don’t want any recognition,” he noted.
However, this was not the first time the donor bought such a massive amount of Christmas cheer. In 2018, the philanthropist spent $50,000 to make sure program participants got the toys they had always dreamed about.
“This is by far the most generous donation I’ve ever seen,” Sgt. Leticia Williams of the Marines commented last year.
“It’s amazing,” she added.
Geppetto’s has been a local tradition for over 40 years, according to the store’s About Us page.
“Welcome to our magical world of classic toys. Enjoy our award-winning stores where you will find toys that inspire creative play for the entire family,” the website stated.
Last Monday, the boxes of toys such as pogo sticks, dolls, musical instruments, and Mario Kart racing cars overflowed onto the sidewalk until the Marines came to load them into the U-Haul truck.
The receipt for the toys was so long, it wrapped around the entire vehicle.
“This is just pure generosity of the season,” Miller said of the wonderful gesture.
The Marine Toys for Tots program website stated that its mission is to “collect new unwrapped toys and distribute those toys to less fortunate children at Christmas.”
“The primary goal of Marine Toys for Tots is, through the gift of a new toy, help bring the joy of Christmas and send a message of hope to America’s less fortunate children,” the website concluded.
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