Ranney Students Deliver “Musical” Toys For U.S. Marine’s 2009 Toys For Tots Campaign

Although it was a rainy Saturday, the wet weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of almost a dozen Ranney School students who took time out of their busy weekend to collect toys for the U.S. Marine Corps 2009 Toys for Tots Campaign.

As part of their first major community service project for the 2009-2010 school year, members of Ranney’s music honor society (Jr. Tri-M) took to the aisles at a local Toys R Us store on December 5 to find and purchase toys that either “sang,” “played,” or just “looked like” music to benefit needy children across the state.

The service project began in November with a division wide fundraiser sponsored by members of Jr. Tri-M. The first Middle School “Penny War,” where students donated loose change over a two-week period, raised over $1,500 for Ranney’s 4th Annual Musical Toys for Tots Drive.

This year, according to Lilly Torrente, Tri-M advisor and music teacher at Ranney, music honor society students decided to go on a musical toy shopping spree rather than ask faculty and students to contribute toys for the holiday season. Ranney parents also got caught up in the community service effort and donated additional toys, rounding out overflowing shopping carts with items geared to babies and preschool aged children.

This year’s project was a resounding success as Ranney students and parents delivered more than 80 toys to the U.S. Marine Corps office on Newman Springs Road in Lincroft, NJ. Several U.S. Marines helped students unload the packages, answered questions about where toys would be distributed, took photos with Jr. Tri-M members and thanked them for their selfless contributions.