Storage firm renews commitment to toy drive

CLEARWATER — PODS Enterprises LLC will once again support the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation during the holiday season.

2017 marks the eighth year that PODS, which is headquartered in Clearwater, will be assisting the charity with its national toy drives by donating portable storage containers to store donated toys and transport them to distribution centers.

According to a press release, PODS' donation of logistical support has played an instrumental role in carrying out the Toys for Tots mission, helping the organization save hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years, which resulted in additional toy purchases for needy children. In 2016 alone, PODS provided nearly $70,000 worth of services to U.S. Marine Corps toy drives across the United States.

"We are very pleased to welcome PODS back as a major national sponsor of the Marine Toys for Tots campaign," states retired Marine Colonel Ted Silvester, vice president of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, in the release.

"Every child deserves a little Christmas and with the generous support we receive from PODS, we will be able to fulfill the Christmas holiday dreams of thousands of more children in need who otherwise might have been forgotten."

Since its inception in 1947, the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program has distributed more than 494 million toys to 230 million less fortunate children across the United States who might not otherwise have received anything during the holiday season.

"We are grateful to be able to assist the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation again this year with their important mission," states PODS chief marketing officer David Redmond in the release. "It is an honor to be able to support an organization that has such a far-reaching impact on families in need throughout the country."