OCTOBER 27, 2021 www.wintertexantimes.com 14 WINTER TEXAN TIMES Toys for Tots 2021 campaign has begun MOSTH hosts Veterans Day exhibit October marked the official kickoff for the Toys for Tots 2021 holiday campaign running through Christmas. U.S. Marines and volunteers will be conducting 830 local toy collection and distribution campaigns in all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands. U.S. Marines and more than 35,000 volunteers, millions of local supporters, hundreds of corporate partners of Toys for Tots will be collecting toys through Christmas. Marines and volunteers will be engaging with local businesses, media and individuals within their communities collecting new, unwrapped toys and distributing those gifts to less fortunate children allowing them to experience the joy of Christmas. Find a local TFT campaign near you by visiting our website at www. toysfortots.org Toys for Tots, a 74-year national charitable program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, provides happiness, and hope to less fortunate children during each Christmas holiday season. The toys, books, and other gifts collected and distributed by our Marines and volunteers during the Christmas season offer these children recognition, confidence, and a positive memory for a lifetime. Toys for Tots also provides support year-round to less fortunate families experiencing challenges and exceptional circumstances, thus sending a message of hope beyond the holiday season. There are an estimated 15 million children living in poverty. The mission of Marine Toys for Tots is to bring the joy of Christmas to less fortunate children with the goal of delivering a message of hope that will inspire youngsters to grow into responsible, productive, patriotic citizens. The objectives include having a positive impact on the development of children, creating or restoring self-esteem, and bringing all elements of communities together in a common cause for three months each year. Last year, the Marine Toys for Tots Program filled the holiday hopes and dreams of 7.4 million less fortunate children in over 800 communities nationwide. Since 1947, over 272 million children have been assisted. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not-for-profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. For more information, please visit www.toysfortots.org. You can follow the local chapter on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/RGVToysforTots/. Information about their literacy program, getting books out to economically disadvantaged children, is also available on their website. The Museum of South Texas History welcomes the community to the launch of a temporary Veterans Day exhibit that honors the historic contributions of South Texas veterans. From Saturday, November 6 to Sunday, November 21, the museum’s collections and exhibits team will display historic military artifacts. The exhibit will highlight the contributions of veterans from the South Texas region. If you or someone you know would like to share experiences serving in the military, please contact Exhibits and Collections Coordinator Melissa Peña at (956) 383-6911 or email mjpena@ mosthistory.org. Stories will be recorded and archived in the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives. An opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, November 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Museum admission is complimentary thanks to Community Partner H-E-B. During the reception, visitors can also participate in a scavenger hunt while exploring the Rio Grande Legacy exhibition. Completed scavenger hunts must be turned in at the Visitors Information Desk for a chance to win a free Family FRIENDship. Scavenger hunts will run through Sunday, November 21, and the drawing will take place Monday, November 22. Veteran-owned and operated, 5x5 Brewing Company will provide free samples of military-inspired brews at the outdoor Beergarden on the museum grounds. Those who are 21 years of age and older with an ID will be served. Match Made Coffee truck will also sell gourmet coffee and other beverages in the museum parking lot. No food or drinks are allowed in the museum galleries. For more information about this program, please contact the museum at (956) 383-6911 or visit www. mosthistory.org/events. About Museum of South Texas History The Museum of South Texas History is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It is located in downtown Edinburg at 200 North Closner Boulevard on the Hidalgo County Courthouse square. Founded in 1967 as the Hidalgo County Historical Museum in the 1910 Hidalgo County Jail, the museum has grown through a series of expansions to occupy a full city block. Following the completion of a 22,500 square foot expansion in 2003, the museum was renamed the Museum of South Texas History to better reflect its regional scope. Today, the museum preserves and presents the borderland heritage of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico through its permanent collection and the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives and exhibits spanning prehistory through the 20th century. For more information about MOSTHistory, including becoming a FRIEND, visit MOSTHistory.org, like us on Facebook and Instagram, follow on Twitter, find on YouTube or call (956) 383-6911. Photo Courtesy Toys for Tots South Texas native Angelica Gonzalez, woman with head bandana, is shown working on a military plane with others.
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