I woke up on the morning of Christmas Eve to find that someone had delivered a Christmas Tree, a box with a complete Christmas Feast and presents addressed to my children by name from Santa. I was more than touched. To this day I do not know who that Secret Santa was and it no longer matters. What matters is making certain that that kindness is never forgotten.
Fast forward some 21 years to my youngest son's announcement that he had joined the United States Marines. He was to be deployed to Afghanistan for Holloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas / his birthday, New Years and much more. I knew that I needed to do something to create some positive energy in the Universe to help ensure this child's safe return from war. I also realized that sending him Christmas and Birthday gifts on the battlefield was not really a sound idea.
That is how "Klaus" was born. I started a Toy Drive among many organizations that I belong to or am affiliated with. The first year, this effort raised some 1,200 toys that we donated to Toys 4 Tots. We also hooked up with new found friends and sent 1,500 care packages to men and women serving on active duty abroad. We sent 50 holiday meals to needy families and we got donations from television studios and professional organizations as well as people from every walk of life and we made a difference.
Last year, we sent another 1,600 care packages, another 50 holiday meal baskets, we filled 100 stockings for children in battered womens shelters, we filled 1,200 care packages for homeless with creature comfort items and we got a bakery to donate 1,500 speciality baked goods with hand written notes - one for every vet in the Westwood V.A. Hospital. In addition, we doubled the number of toys donated to Toys 4 Tots with approximately 3,200 toys.
This year, I have been unable to keep up with an accurate toy count. You see, I started early on and laid the foundation to have the toys delivered not to Toys 4 Tots, but rather to the Armed Services YMCA on Camp Pendleton. It was a matter of principle as I felt it essential to get those toys to the families of the men and women serving this great nation. This was no easy task and I believe that I should get a waiver on qualifying for the Summer Olympic Games as a hurdler based on the number of them I was required to jump over to get this mission accomplished.
The point is, the Elves and I were unstoppable and we didn't waiver or falter. On Sunday, December 11th, we filled an 18 foot U-Haul Box Truck three quarters of the way high with toys we had collected. New, Unopened and unwrapped Christmas Presents for the children of Camp Pendleton. When we arrived on Base with the toys, we were escorted to a 150 foot long Quansette Hut that had a shelf unit about 4 feet wide in a secure cage running the entire length of the building. I was directed to pull the truck inside the structure and we filled the entire top shelf from side to side and end to end with the boxes and bags of toys.
This Firday, I will be picking up another 56 boxes of goods and goodies to go with the 26 that were already donated and didn't fit in this truck load and on Saturday, we will be delivering these items as well.
This doesn't come close to meeting the needs of those in financial distress this year. What it does do is demonstrate how one old retired Staff Sergeant with a dream and a plan can make a dent in the need index. I encourage everyone to dig just a touch deeper and to do two things:
1) Buy ONE extra gift this season and donate it to Toys 4 Tots, The Salvation Army or a kid on the street and tell them Happy Holidays.
2) Every time you see a man or woman serving this country, take two seconds to say "Thank You" for being willing to pay the ultiamte price to protect and defend my freedom's. They are not free.
Remember that "All gave some and some gave all" so that you could enjoy the freedoms afforded to you by living in the United States.
Happy Holiday's
