The holiday season is a joyous time, one that many of us here at M2 have been anxiously anticipating long before we spied the first wreath on display or heard the opening notes of Jingle Bell Rock. Most of us have countless cherished memories tucked away that we dust off each year, reliving the food, films and festive traditions we’ve enjoyed since childhood.

For many children in our community, though, the holidays are considerably less merry. There will be no photos with Santa, no towering evergreen decorated with tinsel, no stacks of brightly-wrapped gifts underneath.

So M2 decided to step in and give Santa a little extra help. We might not have the same reindeer power as the guy in the red suit, but it doesn’t take a sleigh and red-nosed navigator to spread joy to kiddos in need.

After mulling over which charity to direct our efforts toward, we settled on Toys for Tots, an organization with both an excellent reputation and the potential to make a real impact right here in Charleston.

We collected new, unwrapped toys through the month of November, excitedly watching as the box in the lobby filled up. Our hope is that the toys will bring the same gleeful excitement to the children they’re destined for.

In the end, we collected over 50 toys. Dolls, coloring books, footballs and puzzles filled our box, each toy representing Motivated Marketing’s dedication to giving back to the community we call home.