Thanks for showing your level of commitment to start the annual toy
drives for both the Chicagoland Motorcycle Parade and the USMC Toys
for Tots programs this past Sunday. Despite the rain and cold, the
love in your hearts maintained a holiday tradition for our 30th
Anniversary Motorcycle Parade, which aided the 2nd
Battalion 24th Marines. Once again we were faced with
inclement weather conditions. So we made the annual phone call to
Santa Claus on Saturday night, as indeed he would not want to
disappoint those needy children at Christmas time. At 4:30 am his
satellite from the North Pole indicated a window of opportunity from
about 9:30 am until 3:00 pm for Sunday's toy bearing iron sleds.
With that weather update it was a go. So once again, as the founder
Ed "Aminal" Wisniewski previously stated, "the big hearts of bikers
would be serving snot nosed children at Christmas".
We
would like to thank all those in the City of Chicago that aid us.
Thanks to the Mayor and the City of Chicago Special Events
Department, especially Steve Wagner and his parade staff. Also
thanks to OEMC, the Fire department, and also streets and
sanitation. Big kudos to all the Chicago Police Districts that
parallel Western Avenue to assist traffic control at the
intersections. Especially Rich Scott (8th District) and his CPD for
the parade departure from 83rd street, and the 17th District for
their staffing to guide us into the Reserve Center. Thanks to the
Cook County Forest Preserve and their crew led by Darrel and Derrick
at Dan Ryan Woods for accommodating all our needs to make the park
safe. Thank you to the CTA for working out the logistics to
accommodate our motorcade down Western Avenue. Ditto to their CTA
staff at their North Park bus terminal for doing what it takes to
get the lot ready for motorcycle parking, despite it being under
construction. Thanks to Stewarts Coffee and the CMA for providing
hot beverages and sustenance on both ends. Thanks to all the
organizations that assisted us in guarding intersections while the
parade was in progress among them: the various ABATE Clubs, HOG
Chapters, Great Lakes Jeeps Thing, the many motorcycle, bus, van and
car organizations, along with our stationary and riding road guards.
Thanks to the following Harley Davidson dealers for distributing our
product: Oak Lawn, Illinois, and Chi-Town and also Otto Brothers
Honda. Thanks to Westfield Chicago Ridge Mall for providing us
retail store space, we will be there again on 12/15 and 12/16. Thank
you to the KB Toy stores for collecting toys for us. Thanks to LAMA
for donating the Christmas Decorations for the Marine Center.
Thanks to Central Graphics, Overt Printing, Stars and Stripes, NES
Traffic Safety, and Hiway Technologies for supplying us with
advertising and safety materials for our community outreach. Thanks
to the cartage carriers for assisting our deliveries among them: the
Teamsters, TRX Inc, LaGrou, and Larry's Cartage. Thank you to Cart
Mart Plus, Wilson Rental and Communications Direct, Inc for the
equipment you provided for parade day. Thank you to all the local
newspapers, radio and television stations that provided public
service announcements
Thank you to all the pedestrians, families and businesses cheering
us along the 17-mile route along Western Avenue. You made us smile
and warmed our insides for our good deeds. Thanks to the 2nd
Battalion 24th Marines on Foster Avenue for continuing a
60 year tradition for the USMC Toys for Tots campaign, despite your
unit being deployed to the Middle East. May God Bless all our
Marines and all our soldiers for a safe return home. Thanks to Santa
Claus and Elves for making our parade and the weather forecast.
Thanks to a great team of volunteers from the North side of Chicago
to the South that gather every year to assist us and make up part of
a great team of volunteers known as the, Chicagoland Toys for Tots
Motorcycle Parade Organization. Lastly thanks to the "Bikers with
Big hearts" that rode their iron reindeers bearing toys on a
sloppy, cold and rainy day, showing us you have the love of
commitment on the First Sunday in December in Chicago to make sure,
"Every needy child deserves a new toy at Christmas."
If we
forgot anybody, we like to thank you for whatever you assisted us
with to make it safe for thousands of toy bearing motorcyclist on
12/2/07.
Thank you for your support for 30 years, and until next year on the
First Sunday in December (12/7/08), we wish you and your families
... A Joyous Holiday season and Safe and Prosperous New year
Sincerely,
President of Chicagoland Toys for Tots Motorcycle Parade
Robert "Cooch" Kuczera and all its Volunteers
PS:
As you all know this parade only starts our campaign and if the
weather deterred your participation. You can still help us.
There are toy drop boxes all over the City of Chicago. That is what
this motorcade of motorcycles on the First Sunday in December is all
about. It starts the spirit in the city of Chicago for collecting
brand new toys for children at Christmas .You can deliver toys to
our warehouse, you can deliver toys to any of the drop locations
posted on our Web site
www.chicagolandtft.org/ToyDrops.htm , and you can deliver toys
to the KB Toy stores in the Chicagoland area. They will be gathering
toys for us thru 12/31/07. Our deadline for our Christmas deliveries
is 12/15 so if you have the heart, but did not ride your bike, we
appreciate your kindness to aid us with your toy donation We also
will be at the Westfield Chicago Ridge mall again on 12/15 and 12/16
by the food court area. So stop by for last your last minute
Christmas Toys for Tots shopping needs or go to our on-line store
www.shop.chicagolandtft.org/main.sc
. We do have 30th anniversary product and collectibles
left. They all are limited productions so once we sell out there
will no reorders of soft goods product celebrating out 30th
year. We also will be collecting toys both of those days at the
Westfield Mall in Chicago Ridge. This weekend is the End All
Parrot Head Party at Kenny's Irish Pub on Saturday. There
will be TFT product available at this event. There is a $ 5.00 cover
after 7 pm. There will be 2 music shows one at 1 pm and 9 pm. It is
located at 517 West 55th in Countryside. For more info
you may call: 708-954-0991 .So join the fun on Saturday night, as
they will be helping us with our toy collections. So please visit or
Web-site at:
www.ChicagolandTFT.org for
posting of toy drop locations and or contact us via our Hot Line
(773-866-TOYS) to finish the task at hand that the motorcycle
parades starts annually.
TFT UPDATES
TOY
COLLECTING / PRODUCT DAY 12/7/07.
GREAT LAKE JEEP THING TOYS FOR TOTS
DRIVE 12/9/07
PARROT AND MALL STUFF ?
Do not forget this Friday we will be
collecting Toys at our warehouse. It will be open from 1pm until 9pm
for toys from our drop box distributions. If you have toy boxes that
are filled or just have Toys please bring them from 1pm until 9pm.
So stop by so our Toy committee can filled as many requests as they
can. Gina and her toy committee have already started their review
process to handle the hundreds of request we receive annually.
Also the KB Toy biker bagger program has been
very beneficial to us. Doug England their Regional director was at
our Motorcycle Parade and presented us with nearly $3600 in KB Toy
gift cards from the Biker Bagger promotion. And they are still
collecting toys for us. So do not forget we can still volunteer as
biker baggers in any of the Chicagoland stores until 12/31/07. If
you are interested and would like to be a biker bagger you may call
me at 773-255-2822 and I will help you get involved.
Product will alos be available for your
Christmas shopping needs this Friday.. So if you still need
something from our 30th anniversary assortments, stop by.
In case you do not know where our warehouse is it is located at:
8900 S. O’Dell in Bridgeview, Illinois. Nearby 90th and
Harlem. A few blocks west of Harlem off 90th street.
Look for the Chicagoalnd Toys for Tots Sign on the building.
MORE TFT RELATED INFO:
This Saturday do the forget the
Parrot Head Party at Kennys Irish Pub in Countryside. Refer to the
calendar of events for details. We will be their selling product and
collecting Toys at that event.
Sunday December 9th. The
Great Lake Jeep Thing’s 4X4 Toys for Tots Run. They will be
meeting at McCormick Place parking lot “B”. The truck marshalling
area, south of McCormick on Sunday. They will be going from Lake
Shore Drive to Foster and Troy. Just like us but with 4 wheels to
assist the USMC Toys for Tots program. It is a lot of fun. I have
gone every year and tailgate Charlie with my bad to the bone heavily
TFT decaled 79 E150 van. Line up starts at 8:30am and departure is
scheduled for 10:00 am. They usually have a nice after party
afterwards. So lets help those whom help us. That is Budman and his
crew of Rock crawling/ mudslinging Jeepers. Try to make it and if
you are interested get in touch with me and maybe we go meet for
breakfast at Archer and Cicero.
Saturday 12/15 and Sunday 12/16.Westfield
Chicago Ridge Mall and our TFT Store. Do not forget we will be
back there again next weekend. Same place and locations by the food
court. Call Andy at: 708-935-7598 if interested for that volunteer
list.
Sincerely,
Robert “Cooch” Kuczera
President of Chicagoland Toys for Tots Motorcycle Parade
