MEAC Launches Second Annual Toy Drive Challenge
MEAC Institutions to Serve as Drop Sites for Toys for Tots Donations
During the Fall Athletics Season
NORFOLK, Va., Nov. 1, 2022 – Today, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) launched its second annual Toy Drive Challenge in partnership with Toys for Tots. Each of the conference’s eight member institutions are hosting a toy drive on their respective campuses and serving as drop sites for children’s toy donations for the holidays in their local communities. The toy drives will run through Dec. 1, 2022.
The goal will be to surpass the 400 total toys that were collected last year among the schools and the conference office ahead of the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 17 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This initiative is an extension of the MEAC’s commitment to giving back and making a positive impact in the communities where it has a presence. All toys collected by the schools and the conference will be donated to their local Toys for Tots chapter to brighten the holiday season for less fortunate children.
“As we prepare for another memorable Cricket Celebration Bowl, we are proud to launch our second annual Toy Drive Challenge,” MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills said. “Last year’s Toy Drive Challenge demonstrated the positive impact we can have on children and families in need when our eight member institutions unite to give back. We look forward to this year’s initiative and will continue to seek out opportunities to implement programs that lift our communities up through sport.”
Current students, alumni, fans and community members are invited to participate and donate new toys suited for kids aged 0-14. Information about toy donation locations at each of the MEAC schools will be posted on their respective athletics websites and social media channels. The Toy Drive Challenge serves as an extension to the Cricket Celebration Bowl’s Celebration of Service community initiative, which this year features a toy drive led by the National Pan-Hellenic Council to benefit kids in the Atlanta area.
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) is in its 52nd year of intercollegiate competition with the 2022-23 academic school year. Located in Norfolk, Va., the MEAC is made up of eight outstanding historically black institutions across the Atlantic coastline: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University and South Carolina State University.
About Toys for Tots
Toys for Tots, a 75-year national charitable program run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, provides happiness, and hope to less fortunate children during each Christmas holiday season. The toys, books, and other gifts collected and distributed by our Marines and volunteers during the Christmas season offer these children recognition, confidence, and a positive memory for a lifetime. Toys for Tots also provides support year-round to less fortunate families experiencing challenges and exceptional circumstances, thus sending a message of hope beyond the holiday season. It is such experiences that help children become responsible citizens and caring members of their community. Last year, the Marine Toys for Tots Program fulfilled the holiday hopes and dreams of 7.4 million less fortunate children in over 800 communities nationwide. Since 1947, over 272 million children have been assisted. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not-for-profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. For more information, please visit www.toysfortots.org.
