Toys for Tots is truly an unbelievable organization. To date, the program has collected and distributed more than 512 million toys!
The original Toys for Tots poster designed by Walt Disney.
Believe It or Not!
- Walt Disney created Toys for Tots’ train logo—still in use today—in 1948!
- First Lady Michelle Obama was the first to place a Toys for Tots donation box in the White House.
- Now a sporting staple, the New York Yankees sponsored the first major sports event to benefit Toys for Tots in 1962.
How It All Began
Toys for Tots started with Diane Hendricks, wife of a Marine Major. In 1947, she handmade a doll and asked her husband to deliver it to an organization that could pair it with a child at Christmas. Upon discovering that no such organization existed, she suggested that Major Hendricks establish one—he did just that!
Hendricks, who in civilian life was Warner Brothers’ Director of Public Relations, launched a campaign and collected nearly 5,000 toys for Los Angeles children in need. This campaign was so successful that, it expanded nationwide.
Oh, Christmas Tree! Oh, Christmas Tree!
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is proud to be a Toys for Tots donation drop-off yet again, but this year we’ve decked the halls and really tree-topped ourselves!
In the shape of a Christmas tree, Ripley’s will be donating a variety of books by Ripley Publishing to Toys for Tots, a $100,000 value. Featured on Ripley’s book tree is Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Shatter Your Senses!, the newest book in the bestselling series from Ripley Publishing. Filled with remarkable photos and over 1,500 all new—all true—stories to immerse yourself in, it is so incredible you won’t believe your eyes…or ears…or nose!
Ripley’s will proudly present this donation to Toys for Tots at the Hollywood Christmas Parade on November 26th. Not in Hollyweird for the holidays? You can watch the parade at home!
The 86th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade will broadcast its national two-hour special premier Friday, December 15th at 8:00 p.m. ET. You can also catch it throughout the holiday season on the Hallmark Channel and American Forces Network.
Inspired to Donate?
You can donate a new toy to Toys for Tots at the following Ripley’s locations:
- Baltimore, MD
- Branson, MI
- Gatlinburg, TN
- Grand Prarie, TX
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Ocean City, MD
- Orlando, FL
- Panama City Beach, FL
- St. Augustine, FL
- San Antonio, TX
- San Francisco, CA
- Hollywood, CA
- Williamsburg, VA
- Atlantic City, NJ
Not near one of our participating Odditoriums? To find a toy drop-off in your area, click here.
Give a Little. Get a Little.
In the spirit of giving this holiday season, let Ripley’s pay for Christmas. Enter to win $2,500!
Fill out below for your chance to win $2,500!
*Contest Entry has Closed*
Terms and Conditions
Thank you to all the Marines, veterans and volunteers who donate their time and effort to Toys for Tots each year! Toys for Tots has no affiliation with the above sweepstakes.
I would really love to win this would make my grandsons day.
Thank you Ripley’s (big fan since a child), very interesting about Toys for Tots; as a former US Army veteran from the first Gulf War, I am intimately familiar with the program and in my time since with the Boy Scouts and the VFW we continue to support this great program, just glad to learn the history of it, Thanks.
What an awesome Christmas my kids would have!
I would love to win for my sick neice it would make her day I’m basically her dad because her real father isn’t in the pitcher so this would be awesome for her to get what ever she wanted
i would love to win this cause i have a lot of nieces. and nephews and of course my son to buy for and im not so sure i can give them what they want this year because i have only 1 income now coming in and it hard just keeping a float. thank you for the chance and good luck everyone
I am a single mother of three kids. Two boys and one girl. I am not able to afford Christmas and really would love to win this to give my babies a decent Christmas. I have struggled thru abuse from their father for years and for once would live to show them that life isn’t as bad as it has been and that they can smile and love again..please let me give them a good Christmas…thank you for the opportunity
Would be a blessing to win this 💝
Great giveaway! Thanks! Good Luck everyone!
I’m a single mom 35 undergoing dialysis due to lupus …this would mean the world toe and my kiddos
[…] Ripley’s proudest involvement was our donation of over $100,000 worth of Ripley books to Toys for Tots. To represent this donation, we constructed a stunning 12-foot-tall Christmas tree of books on the red carpet! (Don’t forget you can make your own Toys for Tots donation at Ripley’s locations around the country!) […]
[…] Ripley’s proudest involvement was our donation of over $100,000 worth of Ripley books to Toys for Tots. To represent this donation, a stunning 12-foot-tall Christmas tree of books stood on the red carpet! (Don’t forget you can make your own Toys for Tots donation at Ripley’s locations around the country!) […]