WEBVTT - Toys for Tots CEO on Being ’Blessed’ With Support

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<v Speaker 1>This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Masser and Jason

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<v Speaker 1>Kelly on Bloomberg Radio. So Toys for Tots well known

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<v Speaker 1>as it should be because this is the wait for it,

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<v Speaker 1>seventy second annual toy Drive. The Toys for Tots Toy

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<v Speaker 1>Drive started in nine seven with one U. S. Marine

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<v Speaker 1>unit delivering five thousand toys to less fortunate kids in

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<v Speaker 1>Los Angeles. It's now in more than eight communities and

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<v Speaker 1>all fifty states, delivering eighteen million toys to an average

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<v Speaker 1>of seven million children each year. WHOA, those are big numbers.

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<v Speaker 1>So let's understand what's new and different this year, what

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<v Speaker 1>we can expect, and how people can help. Pete Osmond

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<v Speaker 1>is retired Lieutenant general from the United States Marine Corps

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<v Speaker 1>and the President and CEO of the Marine Toys for

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<v Speaker 1>Tots Foundation. He joins us on the phone from Quantico, Virginia. General,

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<v Speaker 1>nice to have you with us. Well, my poysure to

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<v Speaker 1>be there, and it's great to be with your listeners

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<v Speaker 1>as well. All right, So talk to us little bit

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<v Speaker 1>about this year, because you guys, as Jason mentioned, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>seventy two years that you folks have been doing. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>tell us a bit about you know what's changed, what's

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<v Speaker 1>new this year, and what your goal is. Well, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>the interesting thing is I wish we had had a

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<v Speaker 1>big change this year, and that I wish we had

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<v Speaker 1>a a decrease in demand. You know, just listening to

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<v Speaker 1>the economic indicators and whatnot, the economy seems quite robust

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<v Speaker 1>and you would think that we would probably see a

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<v Speaker 1>lot less of a demand this year, but that has

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<v Speaker 1>not been the case. Um. Interestingly, the Census Bureau tells

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<v Speaker 1>us that we've still got, you know, almost fifteen million

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<v Speaker 1>less fortunate children out there that are actually living in poverty. Uh.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, it's a combination of things. Obviously for some

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<v Speaker 1>folks in our country, they have not recognized the great

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<v Speaker 1>economy that most of us are experiencing. Obviously, some of

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<v Speaker 1>that's probably job related or area related. We also have

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<v Speaker 1>catastrophes that happen, national disasters over the last couple of years,

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<v Speaker 1>as you know, but doing the hurricanes, tornadoes, the wildfires

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<v Speaker 1>on the West coast, you know, total communities have been devastated.

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<v Speaker 1>And when that happens, obviously, you know, taking care of

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<v Speaker 1>those people, those families of tremendous priority, getting them basic things, food, water, shelter, medical,

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<v Speaker 1>medical help, that kind of thing. But then the holidays

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<v Speaker 1>come along and everybody says, gee, what about the children. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>that is part of the challenge that we face. That's

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<v Speaker 1>part of the demand that we have seen the last

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<v Speaker 1>couple of years, you know, is an increase in the

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<v Speaker 1>natural disaster. So between a combination of some people not

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<v Speaker 1>realizing the economic turnaround and the natural disasters, we continue

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<v Speaker 1>to have a pretty high demand, higher than I would

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<v Speaker 1>have hoped this particular time. And the good news is

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<v Speaker 1>we've got people who support us. So that's great. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>and talk to us about that, because you have managed

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<v Speaker 1>to bring together some of the biggest names and toys

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<v Speaker 1>and entertainment names like Hasro and Disney. Tell us what

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<v Speaker 1>those folks are doing for you. Well, you know, the

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<v Speaker 1>foundation of the program is the individual donor, but the

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<v Speaker 1>the corporate sponsorship that we have is amazing. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>it goes all the way back you said to nineteen

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<v Speaker 1>forty seven. Actually, Disney came on board in nineteen forty eight.

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<v Speaker 1>In fact, the the individual who ran that first campaign

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<v Speaker 1>in Los Angeles was a fellow named Bill hendrix Um.

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<v Speaker 1>In his full time job, he was the director of

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<v Speaker 1>Public relations for Warner Brothers, and a good personal friend

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<v Speaker 1>of his was Walt Disney. So he approached Walt when

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<v Speaker 1>he realized the campaign was going national the next year

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<v Speaker 1>and said, hey, but you divine us designers a poster,

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<v Speaker 1>And that's exactly what Walt Disney did. So the first

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<v Speaker 1>campaign poster, fourth Choys for TODs, was designed by Walt

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<v Speaker 1>Disney himself. In fact, the little three car train logo

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<v Speaker 1>that was on that particular poster has become our logo today.

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<v Speaker 1>But anyway, the program has grown dramatically over the years, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>and we've gotten great support from corporate sponsors along the way.

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<v Speaker 1>Disney has been with us ever since, um, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>providing lots of money and lots of toys. Has Bro's

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<v Speaker 1>been with us for a couple of decades again providing

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<v Speaker 1>millions of dollars worth of toys. Legos with us again

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<v Speaker 1>years this year providing gosh, about ten million dollars worth

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<v Speaker 1>of Legos, And even the UPS Store interestingly has a

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<v Speaker 1>special niche in the Toys for Tots program, and that

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<v Speaker 1>is they helped support our Marine Toys for Tots literacy program.

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<v Speaker 1>In fact, they helped us to develop the program and

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<v Speaker 1>they collect Moneys throughout the year to help us purchase

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<v Speaker 1>toys excuse me, books that we include with the toys

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<v Speaker 1>for Christmas grifts for children. So you know, a great

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<v Speaker 1>variety of corporate sponsors that really do make a big

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<v Speaker 1>difference now, and you're a reminder, you know, we certainly

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<v Speaker 1>spend Jason and I, you know, day in and day out,

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<v Speaker 1>many of our folks here at Bloombergh. We you know,

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<v Speaker 1>we look at the market hitting record highs and we

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<v Speaker 1>talk about, you know, incredible wealth. It has certainly been

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<v Speaker 1>generated since the financial crisis. But you're a reminder that

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<v Speaker 1>not everybody HA has participated in that wealth and not

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<v Speaker 1>and you know, their economic status is still pretty different differently.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, you share with us some stats that they

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<v Speaker 1>are currently more than fifteen million US children living below

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<v Speaker 1>the poverty line federal poverty line, and that one out

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<v Speaker 1>of every three children lives in a family where another

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<v Speaker 1>parent has a full time, year round employment. So for

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<v Speaker 1>many um the struggles are near and dear and very real.

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<v Speaker 1>They certainly are. And uh, you know, the great thing again,

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<v Speaker 1>as I said, is even though the demand continues to

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<v Speaker 1>be there, the American public continues to embrace the program

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<v Speaker 1>and support it, you know, And of course I just

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<v Speaker 1>described our corporate sponsors that tremendous work they do, but

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<v Speaker 1>it really does come down to the individual donor. I

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<v Speaker 1>think we all realize that our Americans are incredibly generous.

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<v Speaker 1>If they see a real need out there or a cause,

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<v Speaker 1>they will rally behind it. And they have continued to

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<v Speaker 1>do that with Marine Toys for Touch. So we've been

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<v Speaker 1>blessed with great support from the American public. And so

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<v Speaker 1>how do people get involved in We're getting real close

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<v Speaker 1>to Christmas here. Obviously people are out and about they

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<v Speaker 1>can use some of those drop off locations, but I

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<v Speaker 1>would imagine there's a digital play as well here. There

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<v Speaker 1>certainly is. It's not too late to buy that toy

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<v Speaker 1>and drop it in the barrel, but it's getting getting

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<v Speaker 1>close because a lot of the coordinators are already beginning

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<v Speaker 1>their distribution process to make sure the toys get to

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<v Speaker 1>the children by Christmas. But one thing that people can

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<v Speaker 1>do that really is important right now, and that is

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<v Speaker 1>to go to our website, which is Toys for Touch

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<v Speaker 1>dot org, hit that donate button and you'll be provided

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<v Speaker 1>a variety of ways that you can make an online donation.

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<v Speaker 1>Those donations allow us to buy toys and bulk literally

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<v Speaker 1>at the eleventh hour, push those toys to the campaigns

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<v Speaker 1>that need assistance out there, particularly with some of the

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<v Speaker 1>difficult to I guess handle age groups, and that's usually

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<v Speaker 1>the preteens teens. People always shy away from trying to

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<v Speaker 1>purchase toys for those those those youngsters, So you know

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<v Speaker 1>we can do that and do it in a way

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<v Speaker 1>that will really help the local campaign. So that online

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<v Speaker 1>donation really is critical. And as I'm quick to tell people,

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<v Speaker 1>when you make a monetary donation to Toys for Tots,

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<v Speaker 1>you can be assured it's going to purchase toys and books.

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<v Speaker 1>We have a very enviable program to support ratio. In fact,

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<v Speaker 1>cents out of every dollar goes to the purchase of

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<v Speaker 1>toys and books. The three cents goes for fundraising costs.

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<v Speaker 1>Absolutely not one time goes to pay anybody's salary. So

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<v Speaker 1>when donors make that donation, they know it's going to

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<v Speaker 1>purchase toys and books. All right, Well, we really appreciate

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<v Speaker 1>your work and you're taking some time to join us

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<v Speaker 1>in this very very busy time of year for you.

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<v Speaker 1>We know Pete Osmond has retired Lieutenant journal Lieutenant General

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<v Speaker 1>excuse me for the Marines, and also the President CEO

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<v Speaker 1>of the Marine Toys for Todds Foundation, Carol. Yeah. And

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<v Speaker 1>I think just a reminder of what the season really

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<v Speaker 1>is all about.