From grassroots beginnings in 1993 by three employees and a mere 808 toys, the Pelco Toys for Tots Drive has turned into a year-round, company-wide effort that today celebrated its one-millionth toy donated to the Toys for Tots program.
The equivalent of 14 NFL stadiums across the country filled to capacity with a needy child in every seat, the Pelco donations over the past 13 years are the result of year-round hard work done by Pelco employees to collect the mountains of toys for the U.S. Marine Corps. With fundraising efforts from as small as department bake sales and raffles up to its annual Masquerade Ball that's attended by the community's generous elite, Pelco and its employees are committed to making Christmas a reality for the less fortunate.
"Pelco's management and employee workplace team effort in support of Toys for Tots is a model all others should strive to emulate," says Toys for Tots Foundation President & CEO, Lt. General Matthew T. Cooper, USMC (Ret.).
The Pelco donations have enabled the Marines to meet their goal in Fresno County, Calif. for several years running, ensuring that every identified needy child receives at least one gift during the holidays in one of the poorest areas of the country. The company and its employees have donated 1,039,936 toys through 2006, inspiring their community and setting national records-averaging over 150,000 toys per drive in recent years.
The morning celebrations at the Pelco campus included a festive parade and toy presentation ceremony-attended by many local school children, community members and dignitaries in addition to over 1,500 cheering Pelco employees.
Pelco President and CEO David L. McDonald states, "This is our way of reaching out and making a small, positive difference to tens of thousands of needy children-all at once. There can be no more worthy cause than this." The company matches one-for-one the number of toys donated by employees.
Pelco is a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of video security systems.
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