by Brian P. Tierney
philly.com

WHAT HAPPENED last week was like a scene from a holiday movie.

In the face of the biggest demand for toys in years, the Philadelphia Area Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots program was experiencing its smallest contributions in memory.

With a week to go in its campaign to help needy children, the toy total was less than half its usual count. And, in the most challenging economy in decades, there was little hope for improvement. Things looked bleak.

We started a campaign in the Daily News, Inquirer and Philly.com to alert our readers to this need.

A week later, 40,000 more toys came through our doors, to put the total at over 60,000. The increased cash contributions are still being tabulated.

This "Miracle on Broad Street" illustrates the extraordinary power of our newspapers - to highlight a problem, galvanize our community and make a real difference, every single day.

And it's just the most recent example of stories that have made a difference. ... READ FULL STORY

Brian P. Tierney is chief executive officer of Philadelphia Media Holdings, publisher of the Daily News and Inquirer.