
St. James, New York – On Wednesday, December 16, United States Marines from the Sixth Communications Battalion, Alpha Company, in Farmingdale, NY visited Harbor Country Day School in St. James to pick up more than 5,000 toys donated to the Suffolk County Toys for Tots program. In addition to collecting donated toys from its own students, Harbor Country Day serves as a drop-off location for members of the surrounding community.

Photo Courtesy of Harbor Country Day School in St. James, NY.
Harbor Country Day has contributed to the Toys for Tots drive since 1998, when former Harbor employee Mike Guido instituted the program. Now retired from Harbor Country Day, Mr. Guido directs the delivery of toys from various sites throughout Smithtown to Harbor Country Day. The John W. Cooke V.F.W. Post 395 of St. James, of which Mr. Guido is a member, contributed $1,000 to the toy drive, which was used to purchase toys for the drive.

Photo Courtesy of Harbor Country Day School in St. James, NY.
“Harbor Country Day is honored to contribute to a program that brings such joy to children across Long Island,” said John Cissel, Head of School for Harbor Country Day School. “Not only does Toys for Tots provide a tremendous service to countless families, but it also teaches our students an invaluable lesson about community service. The elementary years are a critical time for children to learn about the concepts of empathy, compassion, resourcefulness and helping others. That’s what makes hands-on service learning experiences such as this so important.”

Photo Courtesy of Harbor Country Day School in St. James, NY.
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