Area Toys for Tots campaign begins

The annual Toys for Tots toy collection program kicks off today for Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry and Scott counties.

Members of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, which heads the campaign, were at Toys R Us in Cape Girardeau on Monday to announce the program's start.

During November and December each year, new and unwrapped toys are collected in dropboxes placed throughout the communities and the toys are distributed as Christmas gifts to local children in need. Last year the program served around 2,000 children in the four-county area.

Applications for children to receive gifts will be available Nov. 14, and the locations where the applications can be obtained will be released at a later date.

Current local toy drop-off locations are at Dollar General stores in Cape Girardeau and Jackson. More will be added as the campaign progresses.