The spirit of the holiday season was in full display Monday, Dec. 15, when members of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves joined representatives from the University of Central Florida to collect nearly 900 items donated by members of the UCF community in support of Toys for Tots.
It was a true collaborative effort as 20 colleges, departments and registered student organizations collected toys in support of the annual program aimed at providing gifts for less fortunate children in the community. Similar Toys for Tots drives are run by Marines around the country. UCF’s was coordinated by the USPS Staff Council.
Three members of the USPS Staff Council were the driving force behind the efforts on campus: Joanne McCully, staff council president; Lucdwin Luck, president of Transfer Knights and USPS officer; Pete Alfieris from Academic Affairs.
McCully, administrative assistant for the director of the UCF Recreation and Wellness Center, said she couldn’t be more excited about this year’s efforts to help children in need.
“Staff Council was so excited to work with so many different areas of campus, especially to be able to collaborate with some of the students from Transfer Knights and the Fencing Club. I am grateful to every single person who participated,” said McCully. “We can’t wait until next year to be able to double the amount of participation and toys from UCF.”
Colleges, departments and organizations that participated in the Toys for Tots drive included:
The USPS Staff Council is a volunteer organization made of UCF faculty and staff members. The council’s mission is to promote a spirit of unity, trust, integrity and diversity in an effort to improve the quality of life for all USPS employees on campus. The council is actively involved in several campus events throughout the year, as well as fundraising for those efforts.
For more information on the USPS Staff Council and how to get involved in 2015, contact Joanne McCully at Joanne.McCully@ucf.edu.