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.
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