SMITHFIELD - South Johnston High School's baseball program topped the 1,500-toy mark this Christmas season in its now four-year old project to support the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots program.

Members of the Trojan baseball team raffled off a $100 Wal-Mart gift card this fall, raising $2,880 in ticket sales, 100 percent of which went directly toward the purchase of toys. Susie Barbour of Four Oaks was the winner of the gift card and quickly donated it back to the team to buy more toys.

The Trojan baseball players concluded their community project by making the trip to the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Smithfield on Dec. 13 and shopped for the toys themselves. In total, the players purchased 570 toys that will brighten Christmas morning for many children.

"It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved, and it was great to see our young people working so hard for a worthy cause with no thought of reward," said South Johnston baseball coach and athletic director Keith Durham.

"It is our hope that this project will make the holidays a little bit brighter for some children that might not have much to look forward to this year on Christmas morning.

"It also helps our players keep a little bit of perspective."

Once they had completed their purchases, the players presented Corporal Stephen Rodwell and Captain Julie Center, representatives of Toys for Tots, with the toys.

Over the past four years, the Trojan baseball program has raised more than $12,000 that has been used to buy more than 1,500 toys that have helped make Christmas a more joyous time of year for less fortunate children.

The South Johnston baseball program would like to thank the Marine Corps Reserve, Wal-Mart, WTSB radio and the entire community for helping to make this project such a success.