Friday, December 18, 2015

Toys For Tots 2015


Saturday, December 12, 2015 would be the 6th running of Dan’s Toys For Tots event, the Santa’s Helpers Toy Run.  For the last four years we have begun the day at Chili’s in N. Stafford.  The manager, Derrick,  opens the restaurant early for Dan so we can have brunch and mingle a little before we cruise north.   The last two years have had a low turnout because of the weather, one year it snowed!  This year the weather was perfect, even a little warm! 

People began arriving shortly after Dan set up at 8AM….and they kept rolling in till right before we left at Noon.  This event is becoming very well known to the point that other clubs join in with us….  The Fredericksburg Classic and Muscle Car Club, Northern Virginia Mustangs, Virginia Stockers….and others I haven’t seen in a while!  This year 109 vehicles joined in with us!  We have always had a ‘Police’ escort, without the escort it would be bedlam at every intersection.  The Fredericksburg Classic and Muscle Car Club also presented a generous donation check to our group, Cruisin For Heroes, for The Fisher House Foundation!  How cool is THAT.

As soon as the Sherriff’s escort arrived, the group left Chili’s and gathered in the nearby commuter lot for the drivers meeting then they departed north, to the National Museum of the Marine Corps near Quantico, VA.  I left Chili’s early so I could setup and shoot a video of them arriving at the Museum.  Parking at the Museum was….special….but we all managed.  The night before the event Dan received an email from the Museum stating that because of heightened security concerns they would not be allowing people to bring the toys inside the museum but they would receive them in the parking lot!  This is a big change but we adapted.  I think we overwhelmed the Marine driving the Toys For Tots truck….I had a Richard Dryfuss, Jaws flashback….’you’re going to need a bigger truck’ as I watched the toys pile up!  Everyone was to bring one unwrapped toy to donate….most of the hot rodders brought bags of toys!  Going to be a bunch of happy kids in our area this year!  As it worked out they had to make a couple trips to the warehouse to empty the toys from the truck….how cool is that.  We had an absolutely amazing day….Please check out the pictures and video….and plan to join us next year! 

Unless something unusual presents itself, this will be the last blog entry for 2015….the farm truck is put away for its long winter hibernation till March 2016.  I want to thank you for following us around through this blog….it’s why we do it, for you!
I also made a website that displays our Vacation we took this May, you may want to check it out too;

The Princess & I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a fulfilling New Year.