PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – It was 11 days before Christmas Eve, a Friday on the Local 10 Big Bus Toy Express, and there was holiday cheer in South Florida as it made its way north.
A whole bunch of strangers with hearts that shone brighter than bright aimed to work together from 6 a.m., in Kendall to 7 p.m., in Pembroke Pines. U.S. Marines in full-dress uniforms worked with the oh-so-festive elves homeward.
They were prepared to sing Christmas carols to the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots warehouse in Hialeah.
“We need a lot of help, so every toy counts,” Sgt. Javier Ruiz, a Toys for Tots coordinator, said
Remember the magic of the Big Bus Toy Express and the more than 150,000 toys collected since the annual journey started.
“Marines have adopted more than 400 organizations in South Florida‚ so imagine how many children those organizations serve,” said Mayte Padron, WPLG-TV’s community relations director and the driving force behind the Big Bus Toy Express.
Padron wants you to join the team effort in South Florida. The bus will make nine stops collecting unwrapped toys. North Pole’s elves will ensure the packages are all wrapped with the feeling of goodness and Santa Claus will meet all Christmas Day deadlines.