Great Lakes JeepThing's 11th annual Toys for Tots

teejmcd · 10-12-2009, 02:35 PM

Great Lakes JeepThing's 11th annual Toys for Tots
November 29th 2009
Line up begins at 8:00am
Start time 10:00am (be there early!)
Downtown Chicago
start point McCormick Place parking lot "B'. Located off the 31st street exit
Contact Kevin Gray
E-mail x-zr2@hotmail.com
Web site Great Lakes Jeep Thing
IMPORTANT: Entry fee is at least one BRAND NEW toy still in the original packaging! Please do not ask to participate if you are empty handed.

It's that time of year again in the Chicago area. Time to start the buzz of one of the biggest and most important 4x4 events of the year. GLJT's Toys for Tots parade. 6 years ago in 2003 our little event officially exploded into something much bigger than just us. Now, this event has grown into something that belongs to the 4x4 community as a whole. With 250 vehicles, over 500 people, and 20 different clubs represented. Funny to think that just 11 years ago the first parade included nothing but GLJT members, and totaled to about 15 jeeps. Now this event has multiplied several times over in attendance, has been covered on local TV networks, newspapers, and escorted by Chicago police.

This year we will be starting at the 31st beach parking lot The parade will leave at 10:00am SHARP! So please get there early enough to have time to get those Christmas decorations on your vehicle. Did I forget to mention decorations? The parade is never complete without them. Some participants have really gone all out for this event. Decorating their jeeps like Santa's sleigh, or leaving no piece of sheet metal on the Durango untouched.

That leads up to the other thing that participants are highly encouraged to do. While the entry fee is at least one toy, please try to bring more than just one. Participants always come with vehicles full to the top with donations from friends, family, and coworkers. Posters are available at GLJT meetings for making your own 'drop box'.

Once attendees get there and are ready to leave at 10 we head north on Lake Shore Drive to Foster Ave. Exit on Foster, and take Foster west to the US Marine headquarters for toy drop off. Be sure to have your CB radio on during the drive. We'll be on channel 4. If you've never seen 300 decorated 4x4's being escorted down LSD by Chicago police ... you just have to be there. It's a breathtaking site, especially when one considers the cause that this is for.

If for some reason anyone is unfamiliar ... the Toys for Tots foundation is run by the US Marine corps. It was put into place to help raise toys as Christmas presents for needy children. I think there are a lot of people here that have it better than most, it's important to remember that, and not take it for granted. Every child deserves at least one new present for Christmas. With your help we can make that happen. If you come out and ride with us, you will make a difference. And you might get your mug on the nightly news!

Line up at 8:00!!

There will be a short but sweet driver meeting at 9:45 before the parade leaves. I'll be in the middle of the parade with a bullhorn to announce final details before we leave.
on you tube people put videos of the TFTs
http://www.myxj.net/videos/Toys4Tots2005_1.mpg
YouTube - GLJT T4T 2008 Parking Lot

IGotADisneyJeep · 10-12-2009, 09:55 PM

"Jeeps Gone Wild" will be attending this awesome event!

Truth · 10-13-2009, 02:56 PM

Info for this event does sometimes change! Please check Great Lakes Jeep Thing for updates. Info is going to be in the forums section.

Truth · 10-13-2009, 06:55 PM

teejmcd · 10-13-2009, 09:38 PM

were back were we were last year McCormick parking lot!

drunkencitywork · 10-14-2009, 11:33 AM

I will be there..

teejmcd · 10-14-2009, 03:15 PM

its a great event! i hope a lot show up as we had in previous years.

nwiTJdave · 10-14-2009, 03:17 PM

oh joy ill get to drive to my old reserve station.

yellocoyote · 10-14-2009, 03:21 PM

LOST KJ's (IL) will also be in attendance!

teejmcd · 10-15-2009, 01:27 AM

sweet! glad to hear it, ill try to make a post in your forum!

GRN_BEAST95 · 10-15-2009, 01:49 AM

im gunna try and make it out there. its a sunday so i should have nothing else to do

yellocoyote · 10-15-2009, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teejmcd

sweet! glad to hear it, ill try to make a post in your forum!

I've already done that so that way I can try to get as many people on board as early as possible.

Thanks for the info!

teejmcd · 10-15-2009, 03:23 PM

hey long time no see grn beast. i remember meeting you when you first got your rig. hope you can make it out

sweet. thanks for posting it up ill go over and update it and see if theirs any questions

teejmcd · 10-15-2009, 03:29 PM

i tried to log on to your sight but it appears im inactive i seen you had a few questions.

until im activated you can faward my response i suppose.

1. why we changed the date to the 29th

these were posable dates
1) November 29th, This is thanksgiving weekend but looks like it could be our best bet

2) December 13th, This date will be pretty hard if not impossible to pull off with the bears VS packers. we would NOT have the Truck marshalling area, and more then likely would be on our own as far as the parade goes.

3) December 20th, This is the week of Christmas, there are some worries that the Marines would not have enough time to wrap all the presents.

4) November 22nd, Sunday before Thanksgiving. a little early

also you don't need to wrap the presents

just bring them the marines take care of it

yellocoyote · 10-15-2009, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teejmcd

i tried to log on to your sight but it appears im inactive i seen you had a few questions.

until im activated you can faward my response i suppose.

1. why we changed the date to the 29th

these were posable dates
1) November 29th, This is thanksgiving weekend but looks like it could be our best bet

2) December 13th, This date will be pretty hard if not impossible to pull off with the bears VS packers. we would NOT have the Truck marshalling area, and more then likely would be on our own as far as the parade goes.

3) December 20th, This is the week of Christmas, there are some worries that the Marines would not have enough time to wrap all the presents.

4) November 22nd, Sunday before Thanksgiving. a little early

also you don't need to wrap the presents

just bring them the marines take care of it

Perfect! I'll pass along that info. Thanks!

ALSO: Do you have (or are you working on) a flier for this yet? I know that helped last year to print and post so people knew why they were making donations...