ST. GEORGE – The second annual Car Guys Care car show will be held on Saturday, Dec. 8, and will not only feature classy autos and hot rods from various clubs, but will also be the site of a toy drive for Toys for Tots.
The car show and toy drive is presented by the Southern Utah Mustang Owners Association, the Desert Rodders of Southern Utah, Rods & Rebels Hot Rod Club and Color Country Corvettes.
Shane Dastrup, president of the Southern Utah Mustang Owners Association, said the car show and toy drive did very well last year.
“We ran out of room and had to turn cars away,” Dastrup said. Over 300 toys were donated during the 2011 car show. “We’re hoping to double it this year,” he said.
Last year’s car show was held at Fabulous Freddy’s car wash on Bluff Street in St. George. This year it will be held in the parking lot of Iceberg Drive Inn at 222 E. St. George Blvd on Dec. 8, from 3 to 7 p.m. It is asked that toys donated at the event remain unwrapped. All the toys donated at the car show will go to families throughout the community.
If necessary, Dastrup said, overflow for cars and people could spread across the street to the Washington County buildings.
“We’re making this a street party,” he said.
Dastrup said the car clubs originally had their own toy drive during Christmastime, but decided to join forces with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program in order to be more effective.
Toys for Tots
The program was started in 1947 when retired Marine Corps Reservist, Major Bill Hendricks, other Marine Reservists and the Red Cross collected and distributed over 5,000 toys to needy children in the Los Angeles area. The program was officially adopted by the Marine Corps in 1948. Since that time, more than 452 million toys have been distributed to more than 209 million needy children.
According to its website: “Over its life span, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation has supplemented local toy collections with more than 98 million toys valued at more than $694 million; plus provided promotion and support materials valued at over $8.5 million.”
Donating locally
All momentary donations submitted via the secure web site for the Washington County area stay in the area. These funds are utilized to purchase toys where shortfalls are noted.
Stephen Wade Toyota, located at 1700 W Hilton Drive, is sponsoring a toy drive. Bring in a toy $10-plus in value and receive a free oil change. Any questions contact the service manager at 435-628-7300.
Have a rock chip in your windshield, no problem, take a toy $10-plus in value to Jones Paint & Glass, and they will take care of your vehicle windshield needs. In additional, monetary donations are also accepted.
Drop box locations can be found at businesses throughout the St. George area.
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