Toys for Tots

I couldn't believe the day finally came! Months and months of hard work...finally paid off! From when I first started planning my calendar project to the moment where I dropped off my donation of 50 helmets to Toys for Tots, I'm just glad I was able to achieve my goal.

When I competed in Miss United Nations USA, the judges asked me how I was going to carry out my platform, "Don't be insane, protect your brain!" (helmet safety). I told them that one of my plans was to fundraise enough money to donate 500 helmets to Toys for Tots. The reason for this is because many of the children who receive gifts from this organization come from underprivileged families. Each year, they receive rollerblades, scooters, skateboards, and bicycles. I want to make sure that they also have the proper safety gear to accommodate their physical activity. However, when I spoke to Sergeant Mondragon of Toys for Tots, he said 50 helmets would be plenty. It was still a lot of work to raise enough money to hit that amount. Maybe it's a good thing my goal was 50 instead of 500. Haha.

On the day that I delivered my donations, I also volunteered at the distribution facility. I couldn't believe I forgot, but I had volunteered here years old when I was in the Upward Bound program. It's really inspiring to see the amount of people that dedicate time and effort to make this possible for the community. I also really admire the Marines who have put so much time into this program. Not only are they amazing for serving our country but because they continuously give back to the community when they're not on active duty.

I also had 2 people who came along to help me volunteer - my younger sister, Michelle and Boneet, Miss Asia Utah. It was definitely fun to have them there to laugh it up with me while volunteering.

We also had a lot of fun with the Marines, they're so welcoming and friendly! Don't let their serious faces fool you.

Got a chance to hand deliver helmets to the parents who picked up toys for their children.

As volunteers, we helped fulfilled orders for families who applied for toys.

Miss Hispanidad Utah also stopped by to volunteer for a little bit. She loves children and her inner child definitely came out when she saw all of the toys.

Thank you, Toys for Tots for giving me the opportunity to achieve my goals and give back to the community. Your organization is amazing for what it does. Glad I was able to contribute something!