(music). Kids…
(children laughing) Thanks to your generosity, Marines have delivered
Christmas to children in need since 1947. Reaching out and helping someone in need doesn't
only make you feel good if you do it. You can also have a greater impact than you think,
and this holiday season make a difference in the lives of children who are in vulnerable
situations with technology. Joining us today is Staff Sergeant Ellis from the United States
Marine Corps for Toys For Tots and Elizabeth Little of iRULU technologies back with us
to talk about their exciting new initiative for Toys For Tots. Welcome guys.
Thank you very much for having me. So great to have you in the studio. Good to
see you again. It's great to be back.
Yes. Staff Sergeant Ellis, I want to start with you. And for those who really aren't
familiar with Toys For Tots, tell us about it.
Toys For Tots is a fantastic program. It's run by the United States Marine Corps. Over
the last several decades, many missions of the Marine Corps have changed, but one has
remained the same for 68 years and that's the Toys For Tots program. Over the last 68
years, Toys For Tots has been able to reach out to over 230 million children --
Wow! -- donating more than 470 million toys. Last
year alone we were able to reach 6.8 million children with 14.8 million toys. It's a fantastic
program. That's really almost mind blowing. And that
you guys have been doing this for 68 years, well bless you. That's so great. And so exactly
how does it work? I mean, where can people donate and request a toy?
Yes, ma'am well they can go onto our website, ToysForTots.org, and they can search up a
local organization or Marine reserve unit, and they can find a dropbox location near
them. And it's the same for requesting toys. All toy requests can go through the foundation
website. So important to know, and so important that
our viewers know that. And Elizabeth, iRULU is known for affordable technology. Tell us
about your mission. Yes. So, when we were founded, we were founded
with a mission to make technology affordable for absolutely everyone, especially families
with children. And that's why we're here today. That's so great. And this is exactly, as you
said, why you're here. This holiday season, iRULU has some exciting plans, don't they,
for the holidays? Joining forces here. We do. We're excited to announce that we're
a sponsor of Toys For Tots this holiday season, and it's just been something that's always
been near and dear to our hearts from a philanthropy standpoint, and we're excited to give back.
And when it comes to technology, there's some common misconceptions, especially as it relates
to our children, right? Yes. A lot of families don't realize just
how important it is for children to have access to technology. It helps them to develop and
progress and to learn. And then there are a lot of families who do want their children
to have technology, but they assume you need to be affluent in order to afford it.
So many people think that. And that's just not the case.
Not the case. I love hearing you say that, which is why I'm excited we have a really
important announcement today. Come on in. Take a look at this, and tell us about it,
Elizabeth. Yes. So, during the holidays, for every 10
tablets purchased on iRULU.com, we're going to donate one to Toys For Tots up to a guaranteed
$100,000 dollars worth of tablets. Woo Hoo! I love that!
That's awesome. It's fantastic. And I'm going to call you Mark now, but Sergeant,
how exciting is this for you and your organization in the Marines?
This is very exciting for us. The Marine Corps is a very technologically advanced organization,
and we welcome the opportunity for children to receive technology so they can be better
prepared for the world ahead. I love that we're considering technology a
toy, too, right? Every child should have access to technology.
Absolutely. And I just want to thank you, iRULU, and thank
you for joining us today. It was so great to have you in the studio.
Thank you for having me. Thanks, Julie.
Great to see you as always. And come back some time. You don't have to call me ma'am.
I just heard you say, "yes ma'am" again. Yes ma'am.
(laughter). You, too can make a difference in the lives
of our children. Shop online at iRULU.com, and for more information about how you can
help, go to ToysForTots.org. And if you'd like to find out how you can give back this
holiday season, you can visit us at TheBalancingAct.com or get social by logging onto Facebook/TheBalancingActFans.
Thanks for being with us. (music).