Toys for Tots Breaks Record With 2023 Collection

The 2023 Toys for Tots Collection Team

Generous L-S students, employees, and community members just shattered a school record by collecting 2,230 toys for the US Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program in 2023! The previous record of 1,837 toys had just been set in 2022. 

"We are beyond grateful for the generosity and support the L-S community continuously demonstrates for others," said Jacklyn Potter, program specialist at Lampeter Elementary School and one of the District's Toys for Tots coordinators. " Thank you to everyone for making it another record-breaking year!"

This year’s campaign got off to a great start when LSHS junior Liliana Bacon brought in several pallets worth of toys - 351 in all! A generous community member dropped off 100 toys at the administration building on the final day of the campaign, and Lampeter Elementary School students and staff contributed an astounding 1,270 toys to the effort. Mrs. Poyer’s PM kindergarten class, Mrs. Weaver’s first-grade class, and Mrs. Kruppenbach’s second-grade class each won a donut party from the Lampeter Elementary PTO for contributing the most at their grade levels.

Lampeter-Strasburg schools have served as Toys for Tots neighborhood donation centers for over 15 years. The district traditionally runs the toy collection campaign from Thanksgiving until the second week in December. The Toys for Tots partnership was started by second-grade teacher Karen Taraborelli, who passed the mantle to Potter and fellow program specialist Kara Grove in 2021 when she retired. 

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Toys for Tots campaign to make it the best one yet! 

More photos from Toys for Tots collection on December 8.

The Marines congratulate Liliana Bacon for donating 351 toys

The team loads the Marines' Toys for Tots trailer

Interact elves gather toys at Lampeter Elementary School

Mrs. Kruppenbach's class reacts to the news that they are the winners of the second-grade donut party