SPANISH FORT, Ala.— Want to help a child receive Christmas gifts they wouldn’t if it wasn’t for you?

The Eastern Shore Cruisers will hold its fifth annual Toys for Toys Cruise-In from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Eastern Shore Centre. Toys should be new, unwrapped and be valued at $10 or more.

This is the last cruise-in of the year and Fred Minke, organizer, said he wants to make it the biggest one yet.

The U.S. Marine Corps will have its Humvee at the cruise-in to collect the toys. Last year’s cruise-in filled the Humvee and half the bed of a pick-up truck.

This year, Minke said he hopes to call the Marine Corps for reinforcement from another Humvee.

Between 150 to 200 cars are expected to be at the cruise-in Saturday. There will be 30 kids’-choice awards given out to the best cars, lemonade will be sold for 25 cents (proceeds will benefit USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital),  raffle will be held and door prizes will be given away. All proceeds from the raffle will also benefit USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Minke said.

Prizes will include  a Harley Davidson helmet, a neon clock, metal hot rod signs, complete auto detailing gift certificates, sunglasses, limited-edition die cast models and more, Minke said. 

“Every child deserves to have a nice Christmas,” Minke said. “I believe they are always looking for doll babies for the girls and footballs and basketballs for the boys.”

Toys for Toys is a program of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve whose mission is to collect toys during October, November and December and give the toys as Christmas gifts to needy children, according to www.toysfortots.org, the program’s official Web site. 

The concept for Toys for Tots originated in 1947 when  Maj. Bill Hendricks, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and Marine Reservists’ wife, Diane,  handcrafted a Raggedy Ann doll and wanted it delivered to an organization that would give it to a needy child. Bill told his wife that such organization didn’t exist and suggested he should start one.

That year Bill collected   about 5,000 toys for needy children, the site said.

The pilot was successful that year and the Marine Corps adopted Toys for Toys as a nationwide campaign in 1948. The campaigns have been conducted each year since 1948.

Bill worked as the director of public relations for Warner Brothers Studio, which influenced him to get celebrities involved to boast the campaign.

The logo used today for Toys for Toys was designed by Walt Disney, according to the site.

In the 59 years the program has been active, more than 370 million toys have benefited more than 173 million children in need, the site said.

In the years of the campaign’s history, 2004 and 2005 have been the most successful years to date, the site said, adding that more than 19 million toys were distributed in 2004, besting the 18.5 million collected in 2005.

Can’t make it to the cruise-in but still want to help make sure a needy child has a present to open Christmas Day?

On the foundation’s site is a link for a gift payment that will allow Toys for Tots to purchase a toy on the donator’s behalf, the site said.

For more information visit the cruisers’ official Web site at  www.easternshorecruisers.com.