Organizers hope this year’s toy drive surpassed 750 gifts.
Delaware officers kicked off their holiday toy drive Friday, which produced 750 gifts for the state’s youth last year.
Delaware Natural Resources Police will be accepting and distributing toys through Wednesday, Dec. 8 in New Castle County and Sunday, Dec. 10 in Kent and Sussex counties.
The presents are given out through the local branch of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program.
“The effort has grown every year through the commitment of these law enforcement officers to help bring joy and holiday gifts to the state’s less fortunate children,” said Joanna Wilson, public relations manager for the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
The Toys for Tots program collects new, unwrapped toys appropriate for children of all ages and distributes them as holiday presents to underprivileged kids in communities across the country.
Officers from each of the three Delaware Natural Resources Police units – Fish and Wildlife, Environmental Crimes Unit and State Parks – are once again leading this holiday effort, which began in Sussex County in 2015.
Toys can be taken to the following drop-off locations with Toys for Tots donation boxes:
- All Delaware State Park offices statewide, including the Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington and the First State National Historical Park in New Castle County, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Delaware Natural Resources Police office in Sussex County at 23530 Campbell Circle, Georgetown, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“The three police units hope to surpass last year’s Toys for Tots effort toward stocking Santa’s sleigh,” Wilson said. “Delaware Natural Resources Police also encourage the public to help put smiles on the faces of more children for the 2023 holiday season by giving generously.”
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
Jarek can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz
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