Corporate party helps needy kids

The scene rivaled anything you might see in Santa's workshop, with at least 500 people frenetically assembling more than 1,500 toys in the last weeks before Christmas.

Employees from Deerfield-based Astellas Pharma US were twisting wrenches, turning screws and stuffing teddy bears for needy kids during their 2nd annual Holiday Toy Build inside the Grand Marquee Tent at the Marriott Lincolnshire.

"We had such a positive response to this last year, we decided to make it an annual thing," said Astellas spokeswoman Jenny Keeney.

Instead of having their yearly holiday party, employees gathered to assemble Radio Flyer wagons and tricycles that will given to needy children through the Boys and Girls Clubs of Lake County and Project Sunshine, a nonprofit social service organization. They also stuffed and stitched hundreds of cloth animals and assembled more than 1,000 craft kits.

With screw driver in hand, Dan Gebhardt said this event is more meaningful than the traditional wining and dining. "This is actually more fun than the corporate party," he said. "It's really for the greater good. It's a good cause."