Local teenagers from a Boston youth program donated over 50 new toys to the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program this week.  The teens, members of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps’ Massachusetts Bay chapter, brought the boxes of toys to a drop-off location at the Massachusetts State House and met with Secretary of Veterans Affairs Thomas G. Kelley and House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi (D-Boston).

During separate meetings, Speaker DiMasi and Secretary Kelley each thanked the cadets for their volunteerism and complimented them on setting a great example for their peers.

According to Cadet Chief Petty Officer Thomas Long, 17 of Lakeville, the entire group decided to pitch in for “Toys For Tots” at a recent meeting.  “All of us got together and said how great it would be to help others who are less fortunate than us,” Long said.  “We heard that Toys for Tots wasn’t getting their normal donation levels, so we wanted to help.  Hopefully we’ll help some needy families enjoy their Christmas.”

The Naval Sea Cadet Corps is a non-profit youth program supported by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard.  Local cadets wear a modified U.S. Navy uniform and train alongside active duty and reserve military personnel.  In just the last few months, Sea Cadets have spent time on Coast Guard boats, marched in local parades, and participated in the commissioning of a Navy warship.

Applicants to the cadet program are currently being accepted.  A prospective cadet must be of good moral character and between the ages of 13 to 17.  The unit meets twice per month at the Coast Guard station on Commercial Street in Boston.

For pictures, click here.