Members of LHU’s Delta Psi Kappa honor fraternity enjoy shopping for the Toys for Tots campaign. Left to right: Amber Rosati, Kelley Loser, Elise Tooker, Andy Rosamilia and Charlene Rarick.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Toys for Tots received a boost from Lock Haven University when members of Delta Psi Kappa donated $300 in toys for disadvantaged children in the community.

Delta Psi Kappa is a national honors fraternity in the disciplines of health and physical education, health sciences, and recreation. Students in the LHU chapter of the society wanted to use some of the money that they had raised through various fundraisers to support Toys for Tots. On Monday, December 7, using $300 from their account, members of Delta Psi Kappa got together to go toy shopping.

Professor Paul C. Ballat, one of the faculty advisers for Delta Psi Kappa, said, “The students in our organization enjoyed spending some time together to do some early Christmas shopping for a good cause.” He added, “Because our organization supports the importance of daily physical activity, most of the toys we purchased were selected to encourage active play, such as roller skates, hula-hoops and playground balls. We also wanted to support our local businesses, so we purchased everything in the Lock Haven area.”

They toys were presented to Toys for Tots on December 10. Accepting the toys were Bill Marino, an LHU alumnus and former Marine; and LtCol Don Miller. Participating in the presentation were LHU students Tia Herr, Jessica Hall, Andy Rosamilla, Elise Tooker, Kelley Loser, Amberly Stoudt, Hannah Wagner, Emily Drabick, Amanda Roche, Leigh Szucs, Amber Rosati, Courtney Ausburger and Charlene Rarick.
Toys for Tots is a project of the United States Marine Corps Reserve. The goal of the project is “to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them into becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens.” The project began in 1947. In 1995, the Secretary of Defense approved Toys for Tots as an official activity of the U.S. Marine Corps and an official mission of the Marine Corps Reserve.