For 53 years, the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots charity has been collecting new, unwrapped toys and distributing them to needy children in the communities where they were collected.

This Christmas, for the first time, there will be a distribution center in Tooele County for Toys for Tots. All toys collected by the charity locally will be held at the Tooele Army Depot before being distributed to local needy children, according to Marine Staff Sgt. Adam Vickery, of Tooele.

Prior to this year, toys collected in Tooele went into a distribution center in Salt Lake that also served needy youth from Ogden to Wendover — including Tooele.

“Last year was my first year helping with Toys for Tots,” Vickery said. “We moved almost a semi truck full of toys into Salt Lake from Tooele, and later we had to find rides for needy youth from Tooele to get into Salt Lake to get toys.”

This year we will keep the toys right here in Tooele and it will be easier for our needy youth to get help, Vickery said.

Volunteers with Toys for Tots have placed over 25 collection bins for toys at local businesses throughout the county. Donors can drop off new, unwrapped toys at any of the bins. The toys will be taken to the distribution center at the Tooele Army Depot through Dec. 15, said Vickery.

Families with needy youth may also call Vickery at 435-833-2062 through Dec. 15 to apply for help from Toys for Tots.

After Dec. 15, Vickery and a group of volunteers, along with some local Boy Scouts, will sort the toys and start distributing them on Dec. 20.

Vickery is a little concerned that donations are down this year.

“Last year, right after Thanksgiving, our boxes started really filling up,” Vickery said. “That did not happen this year.”

Lori Culley of Tooele has been volunteering for Toys for Tots in Tooele for three years now.

“Our goal is to serve over 100 youth with presents this Christmas,” Culley said. “We should make it. The people of Tooele County have never let us down.”

Tim Gillie: tgillie@tooeletranscript.com