Students and staff of the Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School place toys in donation bins during the Toys for Tots Fun Run aboard Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., Dec. 14, 2016. (Official Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dave Flores/Released)

Photo by Lance Cpl. Dave Flores

MCCES brings holiday cheer with Toys for Tots Fun Run

19 Dec 2016 | Lance Cpl. Dave Flores Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms

Twentynine Palms -- Marine students and staff with the Marine Corps Communications-Electronics School hosted their Toys for Tots Fun Run aboard the Combat Center, Dec. 14, 2016.

Joined by Brig. Gen. William F. Mullen III, Combat Center Commanding General, more than 2,000 MCCES Marines carried toys while running in formation throughout the installation. As the Marines passed Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Field, they dropped the toys into crates which would later be donated to the Toys for Tots program.

“Doing events like this is important because it shows these young Marines the importance of service before self,” Mullen said. “I was on Inspector-Instructor duty and for those three years, we did these Toys for Tots donation events. It gives less fortunate families a chance to make the holiday season as special as it should be, making this program worthwhile.”

The students donated six bins full of toys ranging from action figures to board games that catered to a wide range of age groups.

“Coming from a family that did not have much growing up, events like this really hit home for me,” said Pfc. Joshua Navarroishiki, student, MCCES. “Coming to the Marine Corps, I planned on serving others as much as I could. I’m glad to see that we, as junior Marines, are already able to do that.”