Thousands of disadvantaged children will have toys this Christmas thanks to our viewers' generosity. Saturday was NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut's annual Connecting You to Joy toy drive.
The holiday spirit was in the air as people flocked to West Hartford's Corbin Collection to provide toys for disadvantaged children.
"It is good to give back. We have to appreciate what we have and what others we can offer," said Maryann VonPaternos, of West Hartford.
It was a team effort for NBC Connecticut and Telemundo Connecticut, partnering with the U.S. Marine's Toys for Tots toy drive.
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"Our goal today is to top 2,000 toys," said Xavier Pacheco, of the U.S. Marines.
Students from Farmington's East Farm Elementary provided hundreds of toys themselves.
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"This means a lot to me because it just makes you feel awesome," said Charlotte Burns, of Farmington.
"It makes me feel good because I know that I’m doing something good for someone," added Finley Briscoe, of Farmington.
Santa Claus himself even took a break from his busy schedule to applaud the children's efforts.
"I think it’s a good way for kids to grow and being able to understand that it’s better to give than receive," Santa Claus said.
"First, we support our armed services and so the Marines are always at the top of our list. And second, no kids should go without anything for Christmas," said Chrissy Williams, of Pratt & Whitney Community Outreach.
The Toys for Tots collection was a tremendous success. The Marines said they surpassed their goal and collected 2,146 toys.
