Double- decker bus crisscrosses South Florida on Dec. 11, picking up donated toys for good little girls and boys in South Florida
Tropical Financial presents check to the Marine Corps Reserves for $500. Pictured left to right: Sandy “The Elf,” Capt. Justin Adams, Marine Corps. Reserves; Richard Helber, President/CEO, Tropical Financial; Kristi Krueger, WPLG-TV.
For a third straight year, Tropical Financial Credit Union partnered with the Miami ABC affiliate, WPLG-TV, on the Big Bus Toy Express to collect toys for the Toys for Tots program, organized by the Marine Corps. Reserves.
Donated toys await pick up for the Big Bus Toy Express
On Friday, December 11, station newscasters hopped aboard a double-decker sightseeing bus and visited various businesses around South Florida, picking up donated new, unwrapped toys and doing live reports from each site. The day-long mission started bright and early at Tropical Financial’s Kendall branch and ended at its Coral Springs branch around dusk with several stops in between. Each site was adorned with the Christmas spirit as Santa’s helpers all social distanced and wore masks for protection.
Amy McGraw, VP of Marketing/Chief Experience Officer, is interviewed by WPLG’s Eric, about the credit union’s support for Toys for Tots
Tropical Financial members, employees and people from the general public all contributed to the cause, bringing in hundreds of toys with the credit union itself donating another $1,000 to Toys for Tots. Through Tropical’s efforts and those of others, the TV station collected a record-setting 16,000 thousand toys, enough to fill the bus and two 27-foot trucks.
“We were once again excited to partner with WPLG and the Marine Corps Reserve for the Big Bus Toy Express,” said Rich Helber, CEO/president of Tropical Financial Credit Union. “It’s been a very challenging year with the pandemic, so it was more important than ever to make sure the kids in our community have presents to open on Christmas Day. As a credit union, helping the community is part of our DNA.”
