Good Morning Folks. This years is the 32nd season for
TFT despite economic conditions, bank failures, depressions,
recessions, etc, we are still here helping in anyway we can. So this
Saturday starts the Kick off for Toys for Tots 32nd
season. The fun begins at 5 pm at our General meeting headquarters,
which is the VFW Post 6863 located at 7256 West 63rd
Street in Summit, Illinois. So if you ever thought about getting a
friend to join, now is the time to meet and greet and enjoy a night
of fun before the serious business gets started. The theme this year
ala the President, Santo Procenti is TEAMWORK. Toys for Tots
does not happen unless all the volunteers get involved and that’s
why you become a volunteer to become involved
As you know the new board has been busy this past summer, they
were involved in donating hundreds of toys to the Too Old Too Cold
Toy ride, road blocking for the Ride for Kids, networking at the
Green Ribbon and many other Harley dealers and rides. They have been
selling raffles tickets for cash prizes to keep the finances in
order. They donated $6,000 this past year to take care of some needy
Charities. Check out the web site or refer to latest newsletter for
those they assisted. But they need more volunteers to keep the
Spirit alive for the next 30 years. As us paunchy old riders,?????
get older we need too start mentoring the younger generation of
riders to keep doing the good deeds we do. We are now face booking,
yaba doodling, twittering, weeing…. Huh!!! What is this new lingo
all about ????? For the future we need anyone whom can help with the
modern communication formats called electronic communication. Us old
school bikers are still doing in your face yapping verses booking
faces, so we need some modernization skills and younger riders to
communicate our old ideas .How do you book a face? Can anyone
download my little black address book before all the ink disappears
into my cell phone?
As you know the name Chicagoland TFT is iconic and after 32 years
of networking is recognized everywhere. A few weeks ago I was in a
motorcycle shop in Interlochen,
Michigan called Cycle Moore campground. Whereupon the Toys for Tots
named emerged. If ever in that area do yourself a motorcycle favor
and stop in. They are simply some of the best motorcycle people
around. They love working on old bikes from panheads to Honda 750s
from the early seventies. They keep all the old bikes running and
are known for working on anything that you bring in, any brand, any
years. Their campground shop is also quite a motorcycle collectible
museum of sort. From motorcycle knick-knacks to posters, biker
magazines and just about any kind of motorcycle to gaze at in their
old bike shop showroom. There was actually a memorial article
written about our good friend and dedicated beloved volunteer,
sidecar Jack Wheeler on their wall. Whereby I found out that he
participated in sidecar Rallies there and that the Moore family are
very dear friends of Jacks wife, Lin Wheeler. Among the collectibles
in the campgrounds style museum were some of our generic posters
promoting the motorcycle parade, Thank you Jack.
This past weekend some members were involved with Illinois
Freedom Run volunteers in a memorial ride to honor a fallen soldier
in Mechanicville, Iowa. Than Jerry Cooch heard that the Father’s
other son lost his home in a fire the week of the planned ride.
Jerry Cooch with volunteers from the Illinois Freedom Run and Toys
for Tots drove over 300 miles to aid this family with household
items clothing and Toys (donated by TFT) to replace those lost in
the fire. Due to Jerry E- emailing to Abate Chapters in Iowa and
other Veteran riders groups in Iowa over 250 riders were involved
this year, which annually in the past only had about 25 bikes
participating. Which cause some police intermingling due to the
large group of riders for this years run .In one of the restaurants
/bars a patron noted someone wearing a Toys for Tots cap and donated
over $125 for the family and to Toys for Tots. The iconic reputation
duly noted .It was even on WGN news in Davenport, thanking the
Illinois Freedom Riders and Toys for Tots for raising nearly $2000
via TFT auctioned items and donations of cash to assist the Paul
Griffith family whom lost his home.
So as you can see even though the parade event is our major
objective we have many other tasks we perform all year long either
intentionally or by acts of kindness. So this is what we kick off
for, so you can meet others and be kicking all summer and in the
fall with others as a Toy for Tots volunteer. So please volunteer
with one of the many committees or talk to the current board members
or asked Santo how you can become more proactive. They will guide
you to what else is needed besides full day parade participation.
Thereby the task of the 32nd teams season becomes easier
for all of us, by you fulfilling your volunteer obligations and
having fun with other members. Also if everyone brings along one new
volunteer, we should have over one thousand volunteer members by
year-end. So next year for number 33 the TEAMWORK will be
really easier with another 500 well-trained Toys for Totters. So do
not be shy… meet and greet the others and remember do VOLUNTEER and
bring one more.
Thanks and see you all on Saturday for season number 32 and still
counting after all these years of helping those without.
Submitted by Robert “Cooch” Kuczera TFT #129 –Public Relations
Toys for Tots
PS: Do not forget the benefit for Michael “Joker” Bending on
October 24th. He has been an integral part of the
organization as a volunteer and former board of director and is
financially exhausted due to his extended recovery from a motorcycle
accident this past summer. There will be flyers and updates about
him on Saturday. Besides financial support he needs a lot of
prayers, as his quality of life will be facing some hardships due to
the injuries incurred, so prayers do not hurt for his future life.
Our best at regards to volunteer and former board of director
Robert Wappel on the loss his father this past week. Visitation will
be on Friday, September 18th from 3-9pm at Lawn Funeral
Home located at 7732 W 159th St., in Orland Park, Illinois. The
funeral, it will be on Saturday, September 19th at 8:45am leaving
from Lawn Funeral Home traveling to St. Michael's Church, located at
143rd Street and West Avenue in Orland Park, Illinois. Mass
will be at 9:45am.
