OTHER SIDE OF THE BREAK WITH MORE ABOUT THE BIG BUS TOY EXPRESS.
>> THE MARINE CORPS RESERVE
TOYS FOR TOTS PROGRAM HAS BEEN
GOING STRONG FOR ALMOST 75
YEARS.
>> WITH EACH PASSING YEAR, THE
NEED KEEPS GROWING.
KRISTI IS LIVE IN SUNRISE WITH
OUR BIG BUS TOY EXPRESS TO
TELL US HOW YOU CAN HELP.
AND YOU’RE ALREADY DECKED OUT
IN YOUR CHRISTMAS GEAR,
KRISTI.
>> I DO, MY YEARLY CHRISTMAS
TOP.
WE HAVE A BRAND NEW ONE.
WE’RE ALL DECORATED.
SANTA’S LITTLE HELPERS ARE
ALREADY LOADING UP 100 BIKES,
HUNDREDS MORE TOYS.
THEY’RE KIND OF JUMP STARTING
OUR BIG BUS TOY EXPRESS TODAY.
THE BIG GUY HIMSELF IS UP
THERE SUPERVISING THE WHOLE
THING.
SANTA EVEN IS HERE TO HELP US
OUT.
HELLO, SANTA.
BEEP BEEP TO YOU.
OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS, WE
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE ABOUT
100,000 TOYS DONATE EDD.
FESTIVE TUNES KICK OFF A LONG
DAY OF WORK AT THE MARINE
CORPS RESERVE TOYS FOR TOTS
WORK SHOP.
THIS STAFF SERGEANT LEADS HIS
TEAM AS THIS YEAR’S PROGRAM
COORDINATOR.
HE’S GOT SOME BIG STOCKINGS TO
FILL.
>> OUR TEAM APPROVED 62,000 --
OVER 62,000 TOY REQUESTS.
THAT REQUEST IS EQUIVALENT TO
ONE TOY PER KID.
>> SINCE 1947, THE MARINE
CORPS RESERVE TOYS FOR TOTS
PROGRAM HAS BEEN PUTTING
PRESENTS UNDER THE TREE FOR
FAMILIES IN NEED.
THAT ICONIC TRAIN LOGO
DESIGNED BY WALT DISNEY
HIMSELF.
>> EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU SANTA
CLAUS?
>> TODAY IT HAS 832 CHAPTERS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND PUERTO
RICO.
HERE IN SOUTH FLORIDA ALONE,
TOYS FOR TOTS WILL ASSIST MORE
THAN 200 NON-PROFITS SERVING
CHILDREN.
ONE OF THEM IS BROWARD HEALTHY
START COALITION.
>> WE’RE WORKING WITH MOMS AND
MEETING THEIR NEEDS.
WE REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO
BRING SOME JOY AND SOME HOPE.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN COLLECTING
OR LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE WORK WITH TOYS FOR TOTS TO
GET THOSE GIFTS.
>> SPEAKING OF NEED, STAFF
SERGEANT MONTANA TELLS US
THEY’RE SHORT ON TOYS FOR
OLDER KIDS, ESPECIALLY BOYS.
>> WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT TOYS
FOR TOTS, YOU THINK ABOUT A
NEWBORN, UP TO MAKE 6 OR 7
YEARS OLD, RIGHT?
TOYS FOR TOTS.
BUT WE FORGET THERE’S STILL
CHILDREN PAST THAT AGE UP TO
17 YEARS OLD THAT ARE IN NEED.
I’M STILL DOWN 43,000 TOYS.
>> THAT’S WHY THIS YEAR, WE’RE
CONTINUING OUR SPIRIT OF
GIVING WITH OUR BIG BUS TOY
EXPRESS.
>> COME FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10TH,
THE 8TH ANNUAL BIG BUS TOY
EXPRESS IS LOOKING TO PUT A
HUGE DENT IN THAT NUMBER.
LOUIS AND I WILL BE
CRISS-CROSSING SOUTH FLORIDA
TO COLLECT YOUR NEW, UNWRAPPED
TOY DONATIONS.
>> THAT’S WHERE A BIG CHUNK OF
OUR TOYS COME FROM, THE BIG
BUS.
>> KNOWN FOR SAVING THE DAY,
THE MARINES ARE NOW COUNTING
ON LOCAL 10 VIEWERS TO HELP
SAVE CHRISTMAS FOR THOUSANDS
OF GIRLS AND BOYS.
>> I EXPECT MIAMI TO LIVE UP
TO WHAT MIAMI IS KNOWN FOR, TO
GO BIG OR GO HOME.
>> AND WE WILL ALREADY GOING
BIG RIGHT HERE AT COMMUNITY
CARE PLAN.
LOOK AT ALL THESE TOYS, OUR
ELVES AND THEIR GREAT ASSEMBLY
LINE GOING.
SANTA OVERSEEING THE WHOLE
THING.
TOMORROW, WE’RE GONNA NEED ALL
OF YOU.
I’M GONNA START THINGS OFF IN
KENDALL AT 6:00 IN THE
MORNING.
SAY HI, BRING A TOY AND MAKE A
CHILD’S CHRISTMAS JUST A
LITTLE BIT BRIGHTER.
YOU GUYS, WE’RE DOING REALLY
WELL OUT HERE ALREADY.
>> YOU KNOW KRISTI, YOU HAVE A
LOT OF FANS BECAUSE ALREADY MY
MOM’S FRIEND LINDA WANTS TO
COME SAY HI TO YOU.
LOOK FOR HER TOMORROW, SHE’S
COMING TO SAY HI.
>> I WILL LOOK FOR LINDA
TOMORROW.
TELL LINDA SHE’S GOTTA BRING A
GOOD TOY THOUGH.
DON’T CHEAP OUT ON ME, LINDA.
>> KRISTI, I HAVE A QUESTION
FOR YOU.
WE SEE SO MANY TOYS EVERY
YEAR, BUT WHEN THAT BUS GETS
FULL, WHAT HAPPENS?
DO YOU GET KICKED OUT AND YOU
GOTTA WALK HOME?
WHAT DO YOU DO?
[laughter]
>> ACTUALLY, WE FILL UP THE
BUS.
THE FIRST YEAR, WE FILLED UP
THE BUS TOP AND BOTTOM.
BUT THEN IT GOT SO BIG THE
VERY NEXT YEAR THAT WE HAVE TO
USE MOVING FANS AS YOU SEE
RIGHT HERE TO HELP US OUT SO
THAT WE CAN GET EVERYTHING TO
THE MARINE CORPS WAREHOUSE SO
THEY CAN SORT ALL THE TOYS FOR
THE LITTLE GIRLS AND BOYS IN
SOUTH FLORIDA.
SO NO, I DON’T GET KICKED OUT
OF THE BIG BUS, BUT SOMETIMES
I AM SQUEEZED IN BETWEEN THE
TOYS.
I’VE BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE A
BARBIE ON ONE SIDE AND A
BASKETBALL ON THE OTHER AND
KIND OF CRUNCH UP.
>> IF WE LOSE KRISTI, WE KNOW
WHERE TO LOOK FOR HER.
>> YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND ME.
I’M ON SOME HIGHWAY IN
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY TOMORROW.