Carnegie Mellon Engineering Students, University Police Team Up to Make Marine Corps' "Toys for Tots" Campaign Successful

November 30, 2007

Contact: Chriss Swaney
Carnegie Mellon
(412) 268-5776

PITTSBURGH —Carnegie Mellon University engineering students and its University Police will culminate their participation in the U.S. Marine Corps' "Toys for Tots'' campaign when they deliver more than three dozen barrels of toys via classic cars to Marine Corps personnel at noon, Dec. 5, on the promenade between the University Center and the campus tennis courts.

"This charity means a lot to us because we understand how lucky we are to be here. It is important for us to be able to give something back to the community," said Aneesh Devi, vice president of the College of Engineering's First-Year Advisory Board, which supports and promotes events that benefit first-year engineering students.

Toys for Tots was established in 1947 by the U.S. Marine Corps to help less fortunate children during the holiday season. Devi said students will do more shopping for toys this weekend before loading the unwrapped gifts into ornate vintage cars, including a 1904 Pierce-Arrow, a Ford Anglia and a Rolls Royce. The cars will be driven by mechanical engineering alumni Harold Hall and Walter J. Blenko Jr. Hall and Blenko earned their bachelor's degrees in 1948 and 1950, respectively.

John Wiss, an adjunct professor of mechanical engineering, said the event is just one of the many ways that Carnegie Mellon is contributing to the greater Pittsburgh community. "The students and our University Police have worked very hard to collect toys and donations for this event," Wiss said.

In addition to the antique car parade, the event will feature bagpipers and members of the junior Marines, a regional, non-profit voluntary group of students ranging in age from 8 to14. The junior Marines are dedicated to helping the community, and learning more about the history and traditions of the U.S. Marine Corps.

About Carnegie Mellon: Carnegie Mellon is a private research university with a distinctive mix of programs in engineering, computer science, robotics, business, public policy, fine arts and the humanities. More than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation. A small student-to-faculty ratio provides an opportunity for close interaction between students and professors. While technology is pervasive on its 144-acre Pittsburgh campus, Carnegie Mellon is also distinctive among leading research universities for the world-renowned programs in its College of Fine Arts. A global university, Carnegie Mellon has campuses in Silicon Valley, Calif., and Qatar, and programs in Asia, Australia and Europe. For more, see www.cmu.edu.