Toys for Tots was one of Shane Beard’s first two philanthropic partnerships he was involved in when he purchased the Mira Mesa center in 2016. There are not as many dropoff locations in that area as there were in Illinois where he was before, so they are happy to be one of the few dropoff locations in the area.
Since the center is right near a marine base, it only made sense to partner up with Toys for Tots. Organized by the U.S. Marine Corps, the Toys for Tots program collects new and unwrapped toys during the holiday season and distributes these toys to less fortunate children. The goal is, through the gift of a toy, to help bring the joy of Christmas and send a message of hope to less fortunate children.
The warehouse in San Diego becomes filled to the brim with toys, and various volunteers give of their time sorting different toys for children. People always say two weeks prior to Christmas is the final pickup, but Shane actually does additional pickups and dropoffs closer to Christmas to extend the holiday cheer.
“It always made sense to me to become an integral part of these organizations. They relied on me because signage is an expense item, and they are always willing to trade something out for an event or I can volunteer at the event,” said Shane. “I know that I’m giving back and helping the organization raise money. I can help get them down the road a little bit, so they can do more with their resources and can give back to those in need.”