Patriotic Photos
December 31, 2009

ALAMEDA, Calif. - Petty Officer 3rd Class Cory McDermot, a member of the Coast Guard Marine Safety and Security Team, San Francisco, helps unload a boatload of donated toys worth more than $9,000, delivering the toys to the Oakland Children's Hospital Foundation in Oakland Calif., Dec. 21, 2009.

"I think we were so successful because we weren't just a static display, an empty bin for people to put toys in," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Cory McDermot, who was the main organizer of the Flood the Boat Toy drive.

With the help of his command McDermot coordinated with Coast Guard personnel and Bay Area Toys "R" Us stores to get the toy drive up and running. "Our goal was to flood the boat, and thanks to the generous people of the East Bay, I think we managed to do that," said McDermot.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Caleb Critchfield