Men’s Soccer Teams with West Chester United On 2nd Annual Toys for Tots Playday

Lafayette Hill, PA – In a collaborative effort with the West Chester United Soccer Club, the Chestnut Hill College men’s soccer team hosted the 2nd Annual Toys for Tots Playday. Participating youth teams required each player to donate a new, unwrapped toy to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation before engaging in friendly competitions with Griffins serving as officials.

This year’s event was a tremendous success, as participants ranging from 11 to 14 years old, teamed to collect four boxes of new, unwrapped toys. Eight local youth teams contributed to the success of the event, including the West Chester Predators 97, the West Chester Predators 98, the Montgomery Hotspurs, Rose Tree, Vereinigung Erzgebirge, the Fox Chase Roughnecks, the Fox Chase Bandits, and Spirit United 96.

Toys for Tots was started in 1947, when Major Bill Hendricks, USCR and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles, California collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. The charity was officially taken over by the Marines in 1991. Over 62 years, the U.S. Marine Corps has distributed more than 400 million toys to more than 188 million needy children. This charitable endeavor has made U.S. Marines the unchallenged leader in looking after less fortunate children during the holiday season. Over its 18 year life span, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation has supplemented local toy collections with more than 81.3 million toys valued at more than $487 million; in addition to promotional and support materials valued at over $6.3 million.