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Triple J gives back via Toys for Tots
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Posted on Oct 18 2019
Triple J Enterprises staff, with Saipan Young Professionals, post their first Toys for Tots donation box at Great Harvest last Wednesday. (IVA MAURIN)
With Christmas and Thanksgiving just around the corner, Triple J Enterprises is jump-starting the holidays and the spirt of giving by participating in the Toys for Tots program.
Mike Sablan, Triple J Finance and Administration vice president, said the company is always happy to provide locations for the program’s drop boxes.
“There are a lot of children who not only appreciate toys but are a whole lot less fortunate. This is Triple J’s way of giving back. We always look forward to helping where we can, we are happy to help,” Sablan added.
Now on its third year of joining the program, Triple J has stationed Toys for Tots donation boxes in all of its establishments and affiliates, including Great Harvest, Surf Club, Truckload Store, Bubba Gump, Capricciosa, and Tony Roma’s.
“The community appreciates [this program], especially this year, following last year’s storm and the recent storm,” Sablan said. “There are too many people living in substandard homes and are waiting for more permanent homes, so it is good to help the kids. We will continue to support programs like this, always.”
Toys for Tots is a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Program that run across the world, to provide toys to children whose parents could not afford to buy gifts for Christmas. This is the 10th year the program is being done in the Marianas. In the CNMI, it is being done with the help of Saipan Young Professionals.
SYP co-chair Shayne Villanueva said this is going to be the third year their group will be a part of the Toys for Tots program. They have raised with their partners over 2,000 toys every year.
“We appreciate all of our partners that we work with,” Villanueva said. “We give [the toys] to the Salvation Army, Karidat [Social Services], Guma Esperanza, Empty Vessel Ministry Foundation. We reach out to these [organizations and ask] how many kids they need toys for, and then we turn around and provide those toys.”
With over 25 establishments all over the island participating in the drive, SYP’s mission this year is to raise as many new, unwrapped toys for children and young adults from the ages of zero to the age of 17.
