Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Long Beach Police and Fire departments are joining forces to support the Nassau County Toys For Tots Campaign this holiday season.
Community members can place new and unwrapped toys in drop-off boxes in the City Hall lobby — 1 W Chester St. — through Dec. 16, which will be delivered to boys and girls in need during the holiday season by U.S. Marines.
“We want to make sure everyone has a happy Christmas,” Scott Kemins, deputy fire commissioner, said in a statement.
The Toys will go towards children of all ages, from newborns through teenagers. The organization especially needs gifts for older kids and teens, since donations often favor younger children.
All donated toys will be donated to children throughout Nassau County.
Suggested items for children include sporting equipment, books, backpacks, cosmetics, purses, watch and wallet gift sets, bath sets, board games, remote-control cars and trucks, handheld electronics, skateboards, bicycles and hair-styling tools such as curling irons, straighteners and hair dryers.
Gifts that resemble weapons or include food will not be accepted.
From October through December, Toys For Tots helps less fortunate children across the United States experience the joy of Christmas by uniting members of local communities in a common cause — collecting and distributing toys.
Kemins described the support from the community as “tremendous,” with the community donating a wide variety of toys, from action figures and dolls, to play sets and plush animals. The collection has been successful to the point where the biggest challenge has been boxing up all the toys for collection.
“One thing this community does, they take care of their own,” Kemins said in the same statement.
Long Beach’s efforts are part of a countywide campaign that begins in October.
Representatives from over 70 fire departments across the county meet at the Coral House in Baldwin as part of a kick-off meeting on Oct. 1, discussing how to get people involved, and as Keminis noted, “show people it’s about the children.”
The Nassau County Toys For Tots Campaign is part of a global commitment by the Marine Corps Reserve, which has catered to over 800 chapters across the country since 1947.
In 2024, Toys For Tots’ Nassau County campaign distributed over 374,000 toys, and supported over 67,000 children.
“It’s always important to help those who are less fortunate, especially during the holidays,” Kemins said. “It’s the neighborly thing to do, to put a smile on a kid’s face.”
For more information, go to SecureToysForTots.org.
