♪ >> I VOLUNTEERED A LOT WITH FAMILY BACK HOME AND IT WAS GREAT THEN.

AND IT WAS LIKE EVEN BETTER TO BE ABLE TO GIVE BACK TO A COMMUNITY THAT HAS GIVEN SO MUCH TO US AS A PROGRAM.

>> I'M THE TOYS FOR TOTS COORDINATOR FOR ONONDAGA COUNTY.

TODAY WE ORGANIZED A TOY DISTRIBUTION AS WELL AS TOY DISTRIBUTION SITE.

>> WE GIVE OUT TOYS TO A LOT OF KIDS I GOT PUT IN A MIXED KIDS RANGE, HONESTLY LIKE WE HAD KIDS FROM LIKE BABIES TO LIKE EIGHT YEARS OLD GET TOYS FROM OUR TABLE.

>> WE HAVE ALL THE SUPPORT FROM THE WOMEN'S S.U.

BASKETBALL TEAM AND THEIR BIG ROLE IS AS TOYS ARE TAKEN FROM THE TABLE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE REPLENISHING THEM, RESTOCKING SO THE KIDS CAN COME AND ACTUALLY SELECT WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS.

>> WE KIND OF-- ME AND COOP, THAT'S WHO I WAS WITH.

WE STACKED SOME KIDS UP WITH SOME EXTRA TOYS.

>> WE DID THREE S.U.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL GAMES IN ORDER TO GET AWARENESS, PEOPLE ENTERED THE GAME ASKED IF WE WOULD BE BACK FOR THE NEXT HOME GAME.

WE WERE.

WE GOT ANOTHER BOX OR SO KILLED AT THAT GAME AS WELL.

THAT HAS BEEN THE BEST PART, A BIG PART IN THIS AND WORKING WITH THE S.U.

BASKETBALL IS GETTING INSIDE OF THE DOME AND JUST SPREADING AWARENESS ABOUT OUR CAMPAIGN AND WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE.

I'M AN ACTIVE DUTY UNITED STATES MARINE.

JUST LIKE THEM, BEING FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.

MY SIDE OF THE MARINES THAT I WORK WITH FROM ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AND THEN WE GET SENT HERE TO NEW YORK OR TO SYRACUSE SPECIFICALLY, AND WE GET TO BE INVOLVED FOR THEM COMING ALL ACROSS AND WANTING TO VOLUNTEER AND HELP OUT, IT JUST SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THEIR CHARACTER AND WANTING TO BE INVOLVED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

>> I HAVE BEEN IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES, I LIVED A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES AND SYRACUSE HAS HONESTLY HAD THE BEST WELCOMING PEOPLE.

IT'S HONESTLY BEEN A CRAZY EXPERIENCE AND THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FOR ME WHEN I NEEDED IT SO AGAIN, BEING ABLE TO GIVE BACK TO THOSE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WHO COME TO OUR GAMES, SUPPORT US, YOU KNOW, YELL IN THE CROWD.

IT'S SUCH A GOOD FEELING.

>> I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY KIDS I WOULD SAY WE GOT TO TODAY.

A LOT.

DEFINITELY A LOT.

WHICH IS ALWAYS A GREAT THUNK, SEEING EVERYONE SO HAPPY, SO WILLING TO COME AND WORK WITH US ALL THE SMILING FACES.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT DONATED AND WENT TO A DROP BOX LOCATION, OR EVEN IF THEY WALKED INTO A STORE AND HAPPENED TO SEE IT AT THE STORE FRONT AND DECIDED THAT TODAY IS THE DAY.

I'M GOING TO BUY A GIFT.

EVEN IF IT WAS ONE TOY.

THAT ONE TOY IS GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

>> LIKE DOING IT AGAIN BACK HOME, IT WAS LIKE A BIG PART OF MY FAMILY.

MY PARENTS ALWAYS EMPHASIZED GIVING BACK TO PEOPLE WHO GAVE TO YOU.

SO JUST BEING ABLE TO SEE THESE KIDS, YOU KNOW, MAKE THEM HAPPY, MAYBE MAKE THEIR DAY, WISH THEM A GOOD HOLIDAY, IT WAS EVERYTHING, HONESTLY.

>> SO ADORABLE.

>> I KNOW, RIGHT?