Toys for Tots

[BaltACD]

BREAKING NEWS! — Toys-For-Tots gets the proverbial ‘Heave-Ho’ from the nation’s semi-public passenger rail service. Don’t expect the train to be rolling through Baltimore’s Union Station or elsewhere along the Northeast Corridor come December. Santa is already making the necessary modifications to help both the Marine Corps effort and Amtrak’s unfortunate new policy change. “… Amtrak’s objective is to operate its core, scheduled train service safely and on time, and efficiently, and must therefore decline to operate this charter…” Jason Abrams, Amtrak Corporate Communications

[Overmod]

“We really need to corral and get the communities knocking on Amtrak’s door saying I know you made a mistake, we know you’re good people, we know that you’re better than this and really come back and make it work,”

But hey, according to WNYT in Albany, Amtrak says they will continue to proudly support the Toys for Tots program through the collection of toys.

I suspect this means that the Marine Corps efforts will be switching more to private providers, as with “Operation Toy Train” in northern New Jersey. For those unfamiliar with how this program works, it is highly localized:

“The principal Toys for Tots activity which takes place each year is the collection and distribution of toys in the communities in which a Marine Corps Reserve Unit is located. In communities without a Reserve Unit, the campaign can be conducted by a Marine Corps League Detachment or group of men and women, generally veteran Marines, authorized by Marine Toys for Tots Foundation to conduct a local Toys for Tots campaign. Local Toys for Tots Campaign Coordinators conduct an array of activities throughout the year, which include golf tournaments, foot races, bicycle races and other voluntary events designed to increase interest in Toys for Tots, and concurrently generate toys and monetary donations.”