The Marine Corps Reserve and Family Holiday Wishes collaborated for the second consecutive year to bring the Toys for Tots program to the Boothbay Railway Village on July 25.

Spearheading the “Christmas in July” event, Post Commandant of the Marine Corps League, Detachment 367, Richard Vargas and Lincoln County Family Holiday Wishes representative Sarah Lane greeted visitors of the Boothbay Railway Village from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and requested their participation in the Marine Corps annual Toys for Tots program.

Starting the program in 1947, the Marine Corps has used Toys for Tots to gather monetary donations and gift donations to help kids in need during the holiday season. The military group purchases children's toys with the money it raises, and it directly provides those toys and the gift donations to families that request assistance. Vargas said the local Marine Corps detachment conducts Toys for Tots events in Knox, Waldo and Lincoln counties.

“We host events in each county at different times,” he said. “When we raise money and toys in one county the money and toys stay in that county.”

Normally, the Marine Corps begins placing gift donation boxes at various businesses and organizations each November; some organizations also agree to collect monetary donations in tip jars during the later months of the year. Events such as this Christmas in July, however, can provide a boost in donations during a time when people are outside, actively supporting their communities.

The Railway Village hosted the Toys for Tots event last autumn. This year, the participating groups decided to move up the date to earlier in the year to take advantage of good weather and the booming seasonal population of the surrounding area. The Railway Village waived its entry fee all day in support of the donation drive, and it featured a number of special events that it mostly geared toward children.

At Saturday's event, Toys for Tots collected 70 toys and $800 in donations.

Families could take a train ride around the village, have their pictures taken with Santa, who was dressed in season-appropriate clothing, visit the car museum and decorate their own cookies with icing and candy toppings.

Vargas said 98 percent of the monetary donations that the Marine Corps accepts are used to purchase toys. Toys for Tots has low overhead, he said, because it is largely a volunteer effort.

“We're always looking for volunteers,” he said. “We need them year-round.”

Although the Marine Corps and Family Holiday Wishes organizations have worked together only the past two years, Family Holiday Wishes has conducted similar toy donation drives for at least the past decade in the Boothbay area.

“For a long time, there wasn't a strong military presence in Lincoln County,” Lane said.

Their cooperation with Toys for Tots, though, landed 2,280 donations in Lincoln County last year, Vargas said. They were both hopeful for a large turnout this year as well.

“We're hoping many people will come out,” Vargas said.

The groups also accepted food donations as part of a Christmas in July bake sale. They sported cakes, breads and cookies. Dunkin’ Donuts in Damariscotta donated several thermoses of coffee.

Anyone wishing to make a donation, volunteer time or request assistance from Toys for Tots can call 207-354-6282.