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Wednesday, 26 November 2008 09:39

Concert to Support Toys for Tots

Saline, MI - Less than five minutes after the curtain came down on Fiddlers ReStrung’s Holiday Hometown concert last year, it was unanimously agreed by everyone involved that an annual event had been born.  Fiddlers ReStrung dedicated the concert as a kick-off to the Saline Fire Department’s Toys for Tots campaign drive.  Thanks to generous concertgoers, the firefighters collected over 150 toys and $300 in cash donations.

This year’s Holiday Hometown Concert is scheduled for Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 2:00 pm in the Ellen Ewing Performing Arts Center of Saline High School, 1300 Campus Parkway, Saline.  Tickets are $10.  Reserved tickets are limited.  To purchase an advance ticket, call (734) 944-2283.  After Nov. 10th, tickets can also be purchased in-person at Saline Community Education Office, 200 N. Ann Arbor St., Saline.  The concert will be a collage of local community talent.  Opening performances include Saline Area School’s 6th Grade Fiddle Club, directed by Catherine Noble as well as the 7th and 8th Grade Fiddle Club, led by Fiddlers ReStrung Artistic Director Josh Herter.  Also performing on stage will be select members of the Saline High School Choir and Saline High School Band, all of whom have graciously offered to donate their time and talent to this event. 

The Saline Fire Dept. has hosted a toy collection to benefit children identified through Saline Social Services for many years.  It was seven years ago that Saline firefighter and U.S. Marine Corps Reservist Kurt Schneider initiated the fire department’s alliance with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves’ Toys for Tots program.  Though Gunny Sgt. Schneider is currently on active duty in Iraq, he made provisions with fellow marines to be at the concert in his stead.  Fire Chief Craig Hoeft explains that it has always been their goal to provide for local children first and then the extended community.  Fiddlers ReStrung joined in the effort, performing at the fire station for the past few years to mark the first official day of toy collection.

The Toys for Tots initiative began in 1947 when the wife of Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR, handcrafted a Raggedy Ann doll and asked her husband to deliver the doll to an organization that would give it to a needy child at Christmas. Finding that no such agency existed, Major Hendricks took it upon himself, along with a group of Marine Reservists, to form one.  In the first year alone, they collected and distributed over 5,000 toys to needy children.  The following year, Toys for Tots became a nationwide campaign.  A Marine Reservist on weekends, Major Hendricks was in civilian life the Director of Public Relations for Warner Brothers Studio.  As such, he was able to convince a vast array of celebrities to support the program.  Walt Disney designed the Toys for Tots logo in 1948, which is still used today.   The primary goal has remained the same since its inception: deliver a shiny, new toy at Christmas to America’s needy children as a message of hope.

Everyone attending the concert is encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy. Marines from Selfridge Air Force Base will be on hand to accept your donation.  Donations can also be dropped off at the fire station any day after the concert date up until December 19th.

Fiddlers ReStrung is a group of talented high school students dedicated to preserving fiddle music.  The group plays, sings and dances to traditional folk, bluegrass and Celtic music.  Their mission is to serve the community and encourage the positive qualities of young adults.  The organization is officially sponsored and supported by Saline Area Schools. 

For More Information Contact:
Rebecca Groeb-Driskill
Cultural Arts Specialist, Saline Area Schools
(734) 429-8000 ext. 2338
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.fiddlersrestrung.com

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