Cary, NC – The Grove School, a new pre-school set to open in Cary, donated $1,000 worth of toys and books to Toys-For-Tots on Friday morning.

The snow was beginning to swirl in the parking lot of Crescent Bank on High House. I was there a few minutes early to meet Scott Andersen, the new pre-k’s Head of School. Dr. Andersen was scheduled to deliver the gifts to a detachment of veterans from the Marine Corps League, the group spearheading the local Toys-For-Tots drive in partnership with Crescent State Bank.

A burly man in the scarlet of the Corps waited in the flurries. It was Harry Schweitzer, a veteran of the Vietnam War. We chatted a bit and were soon joined by two other men in red jackets. John Staley, commandant of the unit, also served in Vietnam. Jim Haslem was a gunnery sergeant in Korea. We warmed our hands in our pockets as the clock ticked toward 11. Trust the Corps to always be early and in force.

Dr. Andersen showed up right on time with boxes of books and toys stuffed in the back of his car. It turns out The Grove School is a new concept in pre-K, developed from 30 years of research and experience by its parent company, Knowledge Universe. It’s high-tech and hands-on. Learning through play including a school vegetable garden. It’s scheduled to open in Cary in January.

We all moved into the lobby where the bank had a giant box for donations. Harry had been in the day before to empty it. “It was overflowing with bounty,” said branch manager Eric Divine. The Marines accepted the books and toys from Dr. Andersen. They’d be out collecting more Toys-For-Tots from 15 other Crescent Banks around the area, and distributing them across nine North Carolina Counties. Toys For Tots was founded in 1947 by a group of Marine Corp reservists.

We all rolled outside for a picture. The snow didn’t materialize, but it will certainly be a merry Christmas for lots of kids across the area thanks to The Grove School, Crescent Bank and the Marines.