First Lady Jill Biden participated with military children in the annual Marines Toy-for-Tots event at Joint Base Myers-Henderson in Arlington, VA keeping a FLOTUS tradition started by Barbara Bush.
“Military children serve too, and the president and I thank you for your service to the country, and that goes to all military kids,” she told the kids seated in a semi-circle for storytime.
Dr. Biden, whose platform as a First Lady focuses on both education and military families, read her favorite excerpt of Dr. Suess's classic "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."
It ended with the thought: “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more.”
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Intuitively, children began to raise their hands when she finished and began sharing what Christmas means to them and something from thier Christmas list. The First Lady called on a little girl dressed in a dark velvet green dress, the same color the FLOTUS was wearing, asking what Christmas means to her. She responded that Christmas is about worshipping God.
Another boy replied that he wanted a skateboard. “A skateboard!,” the First Lady repeated.
“A drone, wow! And a pink teddy bear,” she went on calling out their responses.
The boys and girls were surrounded by an assortment of toys, large and small -- from bicylces, to games and stuffed animals, to other unwrapped packages. The First Lady assisted with sorting the toys for delivery.
The event was in stark contrast to the one she attended before it, the funeral service of Sen. Bob Dole whom her husband, Pres. Joe Biden had served with in the U.S. Senate and considered a comrade. It provided a glimpse of the day in the life of a First Lady -- in one instance mourning, shortly thereafter, smiling as everything is okay to bring a sense of happiness to others. Like First Lady Melania Trump before her, Dr. Biden participated in the special annual event during the pandemic. Families sat together in groups wearing black masks with "Toys-for-Tots" imprinted on them, observing COVID-19 protocols.
David Cooper, vice president of operations at the Toy-for-Tots Foundation said the donated items they brought were valued at around $161 million. That included 20.1 million toys given to 7.1. million less fortunate children around the country. He acknowledged they had supply chain concerns.
"We are not immune to supply chain issues," he said."We ordered in the Spring and frontloaded to deliver in Dec.. We are seeing some issues needing drivers."
The White House staff donated some of the gifts that were given out.
At the end of the event children received a Toys-for-Tots "swag bag" and white glazed dove cookies and chocolate chip cookies that were given out at the White House holiday decor reveal.
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