{"id":31902,"date":"2023-12-07T12:25:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T12:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/12\/07\/jill-biden-tells-military-children-you-teach-us-how-to-be-brave\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T21:00:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T21:00:17","slug":"jill-biden-tells-military-children-you-teach-us-how-to-be-brave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2023\/12\/07\/jill-biden-tells-military-children-you-teach-us-how-to-be-brave\/","title":{"rendered":"Jill Biden tells military children, \u2018You teach us how to be brave\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

THE WHITE HOUSE \u2014 The first lady gave a \u201cthank you\u201d to the children of U.S. service members at a toy-sorting event Wednesday for the Marine Corps Reserve program Toys for Tots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou may not hear this a lot, but kids have something important to teach us grownups, especially military kids like you,\u201d Jill Biden said. \u201cYou teach us how to be brave, even when we\u2019re scared. You teach us how to make friends, even when we don\u2019t know anyone. And you teach us how to reach out a hand to other people in need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was the first year Biden has hosted her annual Toys for Tots event at the White House rather than at a local military base<\/a>. It\u2019s a longstanding tradition for first ladies<\/a> to hold events with Toys for Tots around the holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Guests skate on the White House ice rink on the South Lawn, Dec. 6. (Andrew Harnik\/The Associated Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Biden, herself the daughter<\/a> of a World War II Navy veteran, has made supporting military families one of her priorities<\/a> as first lady.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before her remarks, the children had the opportunity to skate on a small ice rink on the White House\u2019s South Lawn. A few Marines clad in dress blues, with ice skates rather than corfam shoes, joined their kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some kids appeared excited to meet another celebrity in attendance: Gunny Bear<\/a>, the larger-than-life teddy bear Toys for Tots mascot who was generous with high-fives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following Biden\u2019s speech, the children sorted presents for Toys for Tots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 1947, Toys for Tots has distributed 652 million toys to 291 million children, according to its website.<\/p>\n\n\n\t