Children from 19 Randolph County towns and 237 families will have a better Christmas due to the efforts of R.C. Marine Corp Reserve
By Jim Beers
CHESTER – The Randolph County Marine Corp Reserves completed their annual Toys for Tots Campaign on Friday, Saturday and Sunday December 13-15, 2024. This was the 77th year that this event has taken place and local Marines and their families and numerous volunteers made it all happen again in 2024.
Local Toys for Tots Coordinator for Randolph County, Pam Piel said, “This year we provided gifts for 609 children. This is a year-round effort and it all comes together the second weekend of December each year. Our volunteers make this all happen.”
Piel has great assistance from several top-level managers which helps it all come together. John and Norma Preston are huge assets. John is the Assistant Randolph County Toys for Tots Coordinator and he and his wife are the Red Bud Distribution Site Managers.
Randolph County Toys for Tots Coordinator, Pam Piel, has a wonderful first-hand assistant by the fact that her husband, Brent, is the Commander of the Randolph County Marine Corp League. The duo also serves as the Steeleville Distribution Managers.
Well known for their year-round efforts in the Toys for Tots Campaign are Lee and Farida Hollaway of Chester. Lee and Farida serve as both the Chester Coordinators and they are the Chester Distribution Site Managers.
Jay and Michele Zimmer of Prairie DuRocher coordinate distribution in their home town, and Rev. Bud Lawless of the Baptist Church in Eden and his wife Marge, coordinate Sparta’s distribution site. Their site serves the largest number of children in Randolph County.
The 2024 Toys for Tots Campaign provided gifts for a total of 609 children ranging from infant to 6-months in age to 16 years. The majority of recipients were in the range of 1-13 years. Of the 609 recipients, 312 were boys and 297 were girls.
A total of 19 Randolph County towns were represented in the Toys for Tots distribution. These towns represented 237 different families. These towns, the number of families and their number of children are included the following chart:
Town No. of Families No. of Children Percentage
Chester 53 133 (21.8%)
Rockwood 0 0 (0%)
Sparta 63 161 (26.44%)
Coulterville 8 25 (4.11%)
Tilden 9 22 (3.61%)
Red Bud 29 74 (12.5%)
Baldwin 14 34 (5.85%)
Ruma 5 15 (2.46%)
Steeleville 11 27 (4.43%)
Percy 12 41 (6.73%)
Cutler 6 18 (2.96%)
Willisville 5 11 (1.81%)
Evansville 11 25 (4.11%))
Ellis Grove 4 8 (1.31%)
Walsh 0 0 (0%)
Prairie DuRocher 3 8 (1.31%)
Modoc 1 1 (0.16%)
Campbell Hill 1 2 (0.33%)
Renault 2 4 (0.66%))
Totals 237 609
Planning and implementing the annual Toys for Tots Campaign is a monumental task which begins almost immediately following the conclusion of the previous year’s event. Coordinators begin collecting gift and monetary donations right away and do not stop until right up to the current event date.
Brent Piel said, “Gifts must be in the original, unopened packages. Monetary donations are also appreciated and $0.97 of every dollar donated goes directly to the Toys for Tots event. We try to allow $35.00 per child for their gift allotment.”
Families must apply to be included in the event. If accepted, each child receives a stocking stuffer, books, and toys selected from their wish list. The Toys for Tots Foundation also provides a gift.
Piel said, “Gifts are paired according to the child’s age, gender, and his or her desired wishes. A lot of individual consideration goes into creating the gift bags for the children.”
Volunteers from across Randolph County get together on the weekend of the event to put the distribution into motion. On Friday each year, donation boxes from across the area are collected and brought to the American Legion in Chester. The gifts are then sorted according to age and gender and placed on tables at the Legion Hall.
On Saturday volunteers converge on the American Legion Hall to fill the individual recipient’s gift bags according to the wish lists that are submitted by the parents and children. Shopping or wish list fulfillment is done by town and loaded in vehicles or onto trailers to be delivered to the various Distribution Centers across the county.
On Sunday, recipients come to the distribution centers to pick up their gift bags. The entire process is quite involved and time consuming, however the end results are extremely rewarding!
The 2024 event was a huge success and 609 children will definitely have a better Christmas due to the efforts of many volunteers and Toys for Tots staff.
Jim Beers Report
Volunteers gather at the entrance of the American Legion Hall in Chester where gifts were being placed in bags for recipients of the 2024 Toys for Tots Campaign. Gifts were piled high awaiting placement in the respective bags of the 609 children selected for participation in the big Christmas gift go\giveaway. Jim Beers Photo
Jim Beers Report
Pictured are Barb and Keith Kittell of Chester. The Kittell’s are regular volunteers at the annual Toys for Tots toy giveaway. The Kittell’s are huge Christmas fans and are well known in Chester for their extravagant, beautiful outdoor Christmas decorations. Just last week their yard was featured as one of eight finalists in the “2024 Great Light Fight” on nation-wide television. This year marked the 77th year for the Toys for Tots Campaign and the Kittell’s are key volunteers in the Randolph County Toys for Tots event. Jim Beers Photo
Jim Beers Report
Farida and Lee Hollaway pose for a photo during the 77th Annual Randolph County Toys for Tots Campaign. The Hollaway’s serve as Chester Toys for Tots Coordinators and are responsible for the Chester Distribution Center each year. They are very dedicated to the program and have been involved for quite a long time. Lee is a U.S. Marine (Retired) and is very active in all Marine activities. Jim Beers Photo
Jim Beers Report
Gifts are assorted and organized on rows of tables at the American Legion in Chester and are awaiting volunteers to select requested gifts to be loaded into bags to be delivered to Toys for Tots recipients. Gifts are sorted and placed according to age, gender, and requests of the children selected to receive gifts from the event. Jim Beers Photo
Jim Beers Report
Pictured (left to right) are coordinators for the 2024 Marines Toys for Tots Campaign. These individuals managed the sorting, organizing, and distribution of girts to 609 recipients for this year’s 77th Randolph County Toys for Tots Campaign. From the left are John and Norma Preston. John is the Assistant Randolph County Toys for Tots Coordinator. He and wife Norma serve as Coordinators of the Red Distribution Site. Next are Pam and Brent Piel. Pam is the Randolph County Toys for Tots Coordinator. Husband Brent is the Commander of the Marine Corp League. Both serve as Coordinators of the Steeleville Distribution Site. Lee and Farida Hollaway are Chester Toys for Tots Coordinators. Thet also are Coordinators of the Chester Distribution Site. Jay and Michele Zimmer coordinate the Prairie DuRocher Distribution Site. Finally, Bud and Marge Lawless are Coordinators for the Sparta Distribution Site. Bud is also Pastor of the Baptist Church of Eden. Jim Beers Photo
Jim Beers Report
Pictured are 10 Marines who volunteered to work at the 2024 Marines Toys for Tots gift distribution. 2024 marked the 77th year for the Toys for Tots event. Jim Beers Photo