Toys for Tots delivers more than 8,000 toys to Tuba City youth
Navajo Nation President and first lady help with distribution effort Dec. 17-18 with Native American Program Coordinator Lt. Col. Peter Tagni

Lt. Col. Peter Tagni (front left) sits with Navajo Nation first lady Martha Shelly and Navajo President Ben Shelly as eighth grade students from Tuba City Middle School celebrate their gifts from Toys for Tots. Submitted photo

Lt. Col. Peter Tagni (front left) sits with Navajo Nation first lady Martha Shelly and Navajo President Ben Shelly as eighth grade students from Tuba City Middle School celebrate their gifts from Toys for Tots. Submitted photo

Navajo Nation first lady Martha Shelly helped deliver and hand out more than 8,000 toys to Tuba City youth Dec. 17-18.

The Office of the First Lady and the Native American Toys for Tots Program coordinated the Toys for Tots toy giveaway.

"I am thankful that some of our children will have toys this Christmas. I'm thankful to the Toys for Tots program for helping us get toys to our young ones. It makes be feel good to see the children smile when they get a gift," Shelly said.

First lady Shelly and Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly helped Lt. Col. Peter Tagni, coordinator for the Native American Toys for Tots program, in Tuba City for two days. The trio gave out gifts to the young people of Tuba City. They distributed about 8,000 gifts in Tuba City and the program distributed about 80,000 Navajo Nation wide.

"I'm thankful that we can help the children of the Navajo Nation and other Native American tribes. I can see the happiness and it makes me feel good," said Tagni, who is retired from the Marine Corps.

Tagni has coordinated the Native American Toys for Tots program for 30 years.

President and first lady Shelly assisted Tagni starting Monday morning by handing out toys to students at Eagle Nest Intermediate School. Students lined up and were divided into two lines, one for boys and the other for girls. The gifts were age appropriate.

Monday afternoon Tagni and the Shellys handed out gifts of watches, books, basketballs and digital cameras to the seventh and eighth grade students of Tuba City Middle School.

The next day the three gave gifts to the Head Start classes in Tuba City. Later that day, the Toys for Tots program sponsored an assembly for the community and Tuba City High School students featuring Soulfly singer Max Cavalera.

"Don't give up your dreams," Cavalera said. "Once you achieve your dreams, you will be able to help others who need help."

President Shelly also spoke, gearing his message to the parents in the audience.

"I want our kids to be standing on top of the world," Shelly told the audience at Tuba City High School. "It's up to you, the parents, to make that happen for them."

Toys for Tots gave out more than 200,000 toys to Native American children throughout the holiday season.

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