Who Is Marine Toys For Tots
Marine Toys for Tots is a national charitable program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve that collects new toys and delivers them to less fortunate children during the Christmas holiday season. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is the fundraising arm of the program, established in 1991 to support its mission through fundraising, toy purchasing, and promotional efforts.
Origins: The program was founded in Los Angeles in 1947 by Marine Corps Reserve Major Bill Hendricks, whose wife handmade dolls and asked him to donate them.
National expansion: The Commandant of the Marine Corps directed all Reserve units to implement a Toys for Tots campaign in 1948, making it a national program.
Campaign structure: Local campaigns are run by Marine Corps Reserve units, Marine Corps League (MCL) detachments, or other local community organizations.
Funding: The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation raises funds to purchase toys, provide support materials, and help cover campaign costs.
The foundation’s role: The Foundation manages fundraising, buys toys, and handles many operational aspects to support local campaigns across the country.
How to get involved
Donate toys: Drop off new, unwrapped toys at local collection boxes.
Donate time: Volunteer to help with toy collection, sorting, and distribution.
Donate money: Make a tax-deductible donation online or by mail to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.
Support from businesses: Businesses can host toy drives or other promotional initiatives to benefit the program.
Key facts
The original Toys for Tots logo was designed by Walt Disney and his studio.
The program typically delivers millions of toys to millions of children each year.
Toys for Tots also has a Literacy Program that provides books to children in need.
Who Is Mattress Firm
Mattress Firm is the largest specialty mattress retailer in the United States, selling a wide variety of mattresses, bedding, and sleep products from different brands. The company was acquired by Tempur Sealy International in 2025 and operates a nationwide chain of stores. In addition to retail sales, Mattress Firm is involved in commercial sales and partners with non-profit organizations.
Business and operations
Products: Sells a range of mattresses (memory foam, innerspring, hybrid) and related items like box springs, pillows, and bed frames.
Brands: Carries many brands, including Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, Serta, and Simmons.
Retail presence: Operates a large number of stores across the country, with some locations offering fast delivery.
Acquisition: Was purchased by Tempur Sealy International in February 2025 for approximately $5 billion.
Commercial sales: Offers wholesale mattresses and services to commercial organizations, such as hospitality and non-profit groups.
Community involvement
Mattress Firm Foster Kids: Supports foster children through the Ticket to Dream Foundation, collecting resources and organizing drives to help them get better sleep.
Partnerships: Partners with the National Women’s Shelter Network to support those experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Stephen Baker, known as “The Touchdown Maker, survived the mean streets of central Los Angeles by playing football for Hamilton High School and West Los Angeles Community College, but it wasn’t until he was a junior at Fresno State that he came into his own as a dynamic wide receiver and future National Football League star for the New York Giants. Fresno State posted the nation’s only undefeated college record during the 1985 season, ending its schedule with an upset win over undefeated Bowling Green, a 51-7 victory in the California Bowl.
The Kevin Sweeney-Stephen Baker connection helped lead the way for the Bulldogs and both would go on to play in the NFL. In his two seasons at Fresno State, Baker had sixty-two catches (averaging 26.3 yards per catch) and sixteen touchdowns with the NCAA record-setting Sweeney. He also caught a thirty-six-yard touchdown pass in the Japan Bowl to give the West a victory in that All-Star game. Professional scouts had seen enough and Stephen Baker was chosen in the third round of the NFL draft, the 83rd overall selection.
How challenging was it for Baker to become a starting professional football wide receiver? First, Baker was not tailor-made physically for his position; he was small at 5’8″ and 160 pounds. He had to prove himself superior to taller (6’2″ to 6’6”) and heavier (185 to 230 pound) rivals for his position. But he had other “tools” that are required to excel as a dependable catcher: speed, quickness, great hands, mobility, and toughness. Baker honed his toughness to endure six seasons of professional football with the Giants from 1987 to 1992. He was rewarded with a cherished ring as a member of the winning XXV Super Bowl team against the Buffalo Bills, 20-19. He caught two passes in the game, one of them a fourteen-yard touchdown toss from Jeff Hostetler in the second quarter.
Baker’s best season statistically was in 1988 when he snagged forty passes for 656 yards and seven touchdowns, one of them a memorable eighty-five yard catch. He also caught thirty passes for 525 yards in 1991 and achieved his best yards-per-catch average in 1990 when his twenty-six receptions totaled 541 yards for an average of 20.8. Stephen Baker’s career totals in ninety NFL games were 141 receptions for 2,587 yards and twenty-one touchdowns.
“The Touchdown Maker” is a school teacher at the James J. Flynn Elementary School in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He coaches football and track and is a tireless representative for the Giants, ViSiting schools, camps, and special events dealing with youngsters in the New York/ New Jersey area. He also leads workshops and mentorship programs to help troubled and disadvantaged kids. In 2009. the New York Giants named Baker the Giants Alumni Man of the Year. Stephen and his wife, Althea, a school administrator. live in Perth Amboy with their children, Ashley and Stephen Baker and Joshua and JaMon Dunn.
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