Mike & I bought our home in Colleton River in 2012.  We became full-time residents in August 2013. Our daughter, Courtney Thompson (now a Major with the U.S. Marine Corps stationed in Okinawa), completed Officer Candidate School (OCS) and her basic training at that time.  Her first assignment was at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina, and we were immediately impressed with the concern she had for “her” marines.  I believe it was that very first November (time flies so fast in Colleton River) that we were approached by Marsha Murphy to participate in “Operation Santa Claus.”  Mike & I jumped at the chance to help the children of our Marines have a happy Christmas.  

Basically, the Sergeant majors from each unit in Parris Island and the Marine Air Station identify the families under their command most in financial need.  The MCCS Operations Officer, Charlotte Gonzalez, provides us with a family “wish list” for their children.  The wish list includes the child’s name, age and sex and gift ideas from the parent(s).  Pat Miller gets a copy of all the wish lists, and she prepares adhesive labels that can be affixed to every gift as it is purchased to ensure the gift gets to the correct child.

Then our big day arrives.  Our shopping Santa’s Elves meet at Walmart in the morning.  There is an approximate budget for each child, and we shop (almost) until we drop (there is still much work to be done).  Shoppers return with their purchases to the Nick Ballroom where more elves are waiting.  Suzanne Reegler has been busy all morning with our club staff setting up all the wrapping stations while we were shopping.  Marylee Stephens was also busy - she has pre-purchased age-appropriate books for all the children, and delivered them to the ballroom so they can be wrapped and packaged with the rest of the gifts for each child.

By the numbers - we probably have 25-35 volunteers who shop and/or wrap 500-700 gifts for 50 children.  And we need to have all the gifts put into huge black construction bags per family (and Pat Miller makes those family labels too!). Did I mention that this entire process needs to be done between one and two in the afternoon when the Operations Officer will arrive with a Marine Corps truck to bring everything back to Parris Island?

We have learned so much from our daughter about the Marine Corps life - the dedication of our marines, the difficulty of their jobs, and the sacrifices made by every single one of them and their families.  We have witnessed how much she cares for every person in her command, and we thought that this particular volunteer effort could be our way of bringing a little happiness to these families.  

Our Marines are protecting our way of life at home and abroad.  They should NEVER have to worry about whether or not they can afford Christmas presents for their children.  Mike & I have hearts filled with gratitude for these families.  We can remember our own Christmas mornings as children and the mornings when we were parents to our own children.  Magical memories.

Our hope would be to try and help even more families in the future, depending on the ongoing generosity of our Colleton River neighbors as well as our elves recruiting more elves to shop & wrap for more children.

Can’t you just imagine the smiles of pure joy on these children’s faces?  We can, and this is why we give and volunteer for this particular initiative within the Colleton River Charitable Fund.

"The annual tradition of Christmas gift wrapping for the Marine families, made possible through the support of the Colleton River Charitable Fund, is a dynamic community activity that I feel so fortunate to participate in, even in a small way.  

The festive holiday spirit and friendly camaraderie of this fun day, eagerly attended by so many, is just a part of the yearlong hard work and generosity of so many in Colleton River who are dedicated to giving back to the Lowcountry community. I am constantly reminded how wonderful it is to live here with all these terrific people!" - Suzanne Weisenbach

"Marine Corps Community Services is thankful for the long relationship with the Colleton River Foundation Operation Santa. (2017)   Our Marines and Sailors of the Lowcountry have such demanding, high-tempo responsibilities that you truly are making a difference in their lives.  Organization such as yours, that take the time to do what you do with providing toys for their children during the holidays, relieves so much stress from their already stressful lives.  The active duty members can take care of the mission at hand while we ensure their families and children are taken care of.  MCCS is extremely proud of our relationship with the Colleton River Foundation and thankful for all you do." - Charlotte R. Gonzalez, MCCS Operations Officer

"The Marine Toy project is truly wonderful, not only for the Marine families but also for the Colleton volunteers who shop and wrap." - Debbie Proud