MCLB to hold inaugural car, motorcycle show for Toys for Tots

BARSTOW — With Christmas approaching, the annual U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program is in its final stages to provide children nationwide with toys.

Since the High Desert does not have a Marine Corps reserve unit, the active duty Marines at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow have tackled the program to make Christmas joy possible for High Desert residents, according to MCLB’s Toys for Tots assistant coordinator Chad Hildebrandt.

The program is entering its final days before the toys are distributed at the Harvey House on Dec. 19. MCLB is hosting one more event in efforts to ramp up the efforts.

The inaugural Toys for Tots Car and Motorcycle show is set to take place Saturday. Hildebrandt said he hopes it will be a success and become an annual event.

“It’s a new event — we had a successful softball tournament last week,” Hildebrandt said. “That was the second annual tournament and we are hopeful this becomes an annual event as part of Toys for Tots. So far we have 47 vendors that consist of a wide variety including arts and crafts, food and other things.”

Hildebrandt said approximately 200 cars and 100 motorcycles have verbally committed to attending Saturday’s event. Hildebrandt is hopeful the weather permits the show to go on without any hiccups.

According to the National Weather Service, Barstow is expected to see a 70-percent chance of rain Friday, but mostly sunny skies are expected Saturday.

The car and motorcycle show participants are expected to arrive at 7:30 a.m. and the show will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration is $15 for participating cars or motorcycles. The first 200 participants will received a commemorative plaque.

The event is free to the public, but identification must be provided at the MCLB front gate, Hildebrandt said. The event will feature 50/50 raffles, door prizes and music.

Hildebrandt said the MCLB Fire Department will also collect toy and cash donations at the front gate of the Nebo and Yermo annexes from 5:45 to 7 a.m. Tuesday.

For more registration information, call Hildebrandt at 760-577-7781. For more information, to donate to the program or to request a toy visit www.ToysForTots.org.

Jose Quintero can be reached at 760-256-4122 or JQuintero@DesertDispatch.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at @DD_JQuintero.

MCLB to hold inaugural car, motorcycle show for Toys for Tots