Instead of birthday gifts, St. Charles boy collects Toys for Tots donations
For his 8th birthday, Isaac Totten asked his friends, family and neighbors for toys - but not for himself.
Instead, the Legos, games, books and Play-Doh collected at his party this past Saturday were donated to Toys for Tots, a U.S. Marine Corps Reserve program that distributes toys to less fortunate children during the holiday season.
"I did it because I want other people to have toys for Christmas," said Isaac, who lives in St. Charles. "I want to make people happy."
With Isaac's birthday so close to the holidays, his parents presented him with the idea of giving gifts this year rather than receiving them. Isaac jumped on board, excited to help make the season a bit brighter for others.
"We were pretty excited that he was responsive to it," said his mom, Ady Totten. "We've done a lot of talking about the donations and what Toys for Tots is and that there might be other kids that might not get presents for Christmas this year."
The Totten family reached out to friends and relatives, and Isaac put slips of paper in his neighbors' mailboxes informing them of the cause.
They already had collected about 20 toys by the time the party rolled around, Ady Totten said. That number doubled, filling a large decorated box to the brim, when each guest brought a toy, she said.
After receiving an inquiry from Totten weeks earlier, St. Charles police Sgt. Richard Clark coordinated with the officers on his shift to meet at Isaac's house and pick up the donated gifts during the party. When they arrived, they also handed out badges and let the kids check out their squad cars.
For Isaac, who turns 8 on Friday, sitting in a police car and turning on the siren was one of the highlights of his birthday. Clark said it's the least the officers could do for a boy who so selflessly wants to help others.
"It's great that (Isaac) ... would be so giving like that," Clark said. "The fact that he wanted to do something like that speaks volumes about him and his parents."