FARGO, N.D.--The North Dakota State University athletic department and "Toys for Tots" will team up this week when the NDSU men’s basketball team hosts Valley City State Thursday night.

Fans will have an opportunity to receive a $5 ticket by bringing an unopened toy to the game. All toys collected will be given to families in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. at the Bison Sports Arena.

Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve which donates toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas. The program was founded in 1947 by Major Bill Hendricks, and the famous logo of a train with the name on it was designed by Walt Disney.

The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation serves to fund, raise funds for, and support the program. The mission of the program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.