(Photo by Douglass Huxley) The Ohio Valley Jeep Club held an event for Toys for Tots Saturday at the Armory in Marietta. The club donated $1,800 worth of toys collected from its many fundraisers.

The 700-member Ohio Valley Jeep Club held a Toys for Tots collection Saturday at the Marietta Armory in collaboration with Main Street Marietta.

“We, as a club, donated approximately $1,800 worth of toys that all we admin went to purchase a few nights ago,” Jeanna Plumly, administrator of the Club, which has members from Ohio and West Virginia, said. “All the money for that comes from the events we do like Jeep Jam.”

Missy Plumly, event coordinator, said the club holds events like this to help those in need.

“All of our fundraising goes directly back into the community,” Missy Plumly said.

This year’s collection mobilized members who brought their own donations.

(Photo by Douglass Huxley) The Ohio Valley Jeep Club held an event for Toys for Tots Saturday at the Armory in Marietta. The club donated $1,800 worth of toys collected from its many fundraisers.

“Collectively, we had about 100 members here today that all donated, in addition to the $1,800, so we had three entire Jeep Gladiators filled with toys, and we’re halfway through a fourth Gladiator,” Jeanna Plumly said.

Looking beyond toy donations, Jeanna Plumly said the club also is helping fight local food security.

“Because of the way the economy is, we are going out Thursday and all of our ambassadors are shopping for food that will be donated to the Greater Marietta Food Pantry; we set aside over $1,000 to spend on food,” she said. “Life in general is expensive nowadays, and there are a lot of people in need, and people continually are in need, and we just want to help.”

The group also took part in the Merry-Etta Christmas parade after cleaning the grounds at the Armory.

“Everybody that’s here now, with the exception of maybe a couple, are leaving here and going to set up for the parade,” Jeanna Plumly said. “So that money goes right back into the City of Marietta.”

(Photo by Douglass Huxley) Members of the Ohio Valley Jeep Club gathered at the Armory in Marietta Saturday for a Toys for Tots collection in collaboration with Main Street Marietta. About $1,800 toys collected from its fundraisers were donated.

Membership in the club is open to anyone who owns a Jeep.

“It doesn’t have to be a brand new 2025 Wrangler,” Jeanna Plumly said. “We accept them all.”

She said there are no membership fees and those interested can apply on their website at ohiovalleyjeepclub.com or visit its Facebook page.

The pair said it was the strong membership the club has that makes events like these possible.

“We just want to thank everybody that came out and participated today,” Missy Plumly said, “This would not be possible without our members.”