The holiday spirit was alive and well in Laplace, as dozens of families gathered at Lloyd B. Johnson Training Center on Saturday, Dec.14, for the annual Toy for Tots program for hundreds of children in St John the Baptist Parish.

The toys give-away to children program which runs every year was organized by St John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office in partnership with the United States Marine Corps, to ensure children from low-income families get new, unwrapped toys for the holiday season.

This year is no exception, and the need for the program is as strong as it’s ever been. Some parents had waited hours before the event kicked-off to get the opportunity to secure toys to give their children for Christmas.

At the center, toys were stacked on top of tables and are organized by the ages of the children receiving gifts. Each child could take only two gifts and it ranged from electronics, headphones, smart watches, stuffed animals, board games, puzzles, and sports balls. Other gifts include a little lagniappe, youth belts and ties which were also given away.

It also featured a Santa, an Elve and tons of toys for kids whose ages range from 1 to 14. The annual tradition provided an entertaining experience for the children St John’s Parish area this year with the introduction of  Santa Claus, and brand-new toys and puzzles that help the young learners engage in educational and mind-stimulating activities.

St. John’s Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre held an impromptu tutorial on how to tie a necktie, and met a few children as they posed to take pictures with Santa. Deputies at the event also assisted children to get the toys while keeping the crowd organized.

“This is an opportunity to stay in touch with the community, and we’re glad to be able to give back,” Sheriff Mike Tregre said. “It’s great to be able to connect with lots of happy parents and children as we hope to foster and maintain our relationships with the community. And we’re going to continue doing this every year, as far as I can tell you.”

The toys are collected through the Toys for Tots program, and direct donations brought by donors but when there are leftover toys the Sheriff’s Office find families or organizations to donate them to. Last year, books which were a part of the leftover gifts were donated to public schools.

The U.S Marine Toys for Tots Foundation program has been giving back to less fortunate children with new toys since their inception in 1947.