Another successful Toys for Tots campaign has wrapped up in Wood County, with 2022 marking the 75th anniversary of the program started by a reserve major in the U.S. Marine Corps.

The Wood County detachment of the Marine Corps League handles the program locally, with all the toys collected going to Wood County kids.

Coordinator Mike Jernigan noted that toys were donated to the Northeast Texas Children’s Advocacy Center, Mineola Caring & Sharing, Hawkins Helping Hands, Wood County Child Welfare Board and Wood County special education co-op. The groups received 1,104 toys representing 819 children.

In addition, the league invited families to apply, with 101 families representing 318 children receiving 643 toys.

Toys are collected in boxes set up in banks and retail stores, and events such as the Mineola Pub Crawl Dec. 17 also collect toys and donations.

The entire operation is staged in space donated by Curtis Dowdle north of Mineola.

The effort got underway Oct. 1 and just concluded early Christmas week.

Jernigan said the campaign had a really good year, and noted that more requests were received, likely a sign of the economy and inflation.