In what is fast becoming a tradition, Toys for Tots teamed up with Southern Maryland Mopars for the 3rd annual Southern Maryland Mopars Toys for Tots Meet & Greet. For those that may not know, Toys for Tots is a tradition in itself started in 1947 by a group of Marine Corps reservists from the L.A. area, who collected over 5000 toys for needy children, according to their website. And the tradition continues today. Southern Maryland Mopars on the other hand, is a local group of car & truck enthusiasts promoting both vintage and modern Dodge, Chrysler and Plymouth brands.
This annual event, started in 2007, draws Mopar fans from areas as far away York, Pa., Delaware, Northern Va., and Maryland’s eastern shore. Tracy Rectenwald , Steve Fitzmeyer and Ron Goff were instrumental in bringing together the Prince Fredrick Fire Department under the direction of Chief Brian Ficke. Chief Ficke gave us support in the use of their lot as a starting point as well as an impromptu car show and meet & greet. Chief Ficke also coordinated with Deputy Chief Jan Lankford of the St Leonard Fire Department and Chief Steve Nero of the Solomans Volunteer Rescue Squad & Fire Department for the escort to Solomans Island.
After crossing the bridge, we were met by Chief Joe Gould of the Bay District Fire Department for the final leg of our escort to Park Dodge. Upon arrival at Park Dodge, we were met by owner Jerry Dillard. Mr. Dillard has been so generous in sponsoring this event the past two years. Chief Gould and his crew jumped right into the task of unloading all of the toys from the 40 or so Mopars on hand.
Shortly after unloading the toys, everyone had their fill of hot pizza courtesy of donations from several club members as well as a generous donation from the Joseph A. Egans Masonic Lodge #104. Dominoes Pizza assured prompt delivery and a deep discount on the cost. Also present were Chief Dave Wolfe and Chief Mike Cunah from the Patuxent river Chief Petty Officer Association to present the Marines a check on behalf of the Pax River CPOA.
There were trophies awarded in three different classes of cars. Door prizes from Maryland International Raceway – www.mirdrag.com, JLT Performance – www.jlttruecoldair.com, Inertia Motorsports – www.inertiamotorsports.com and High Horse Performance – www.highhorseperformance.com/ were given in the 50/50 raffle with the proceeds given to the Marcey House of St. Mary’s county.
Finally, the traditional “hand off” of toys began with more than 50 people under the guidance of Gwen Bankins and GySgt David Trantham of the Patuxent River Marine Aviation Detachment ( MAD ). There were more than 3500 toys collected.
We’re already looking forward to 2010. For future info, visit www.toysfortots.org or www.mdmopars.com
