Toys for Tots Concert on December 14 at Glenview Community Church
Bring your family to the 26th Annual Toy-ful Celebration concert at the Glenview Community Church, 1000 Elm in Glenview on Saturday, December 14th at 7:00pm.
Join the Community Toy Choir, directed by Guillermo Muñoz Küster for a festive evening of holiday music and fun. Doors open at 6:30; Christmas carol sing along starts at 6:45. This concert benefits the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots program.
The concert is free, but please bring an unwrapped new toy (or toys) to donate to the Marines to help make some child's Christmas morning a little brighter. If you cannot come to the concert, please consider dropping off new toys at any of the Glenview Fire Department's Toys for Tots boxes.
Toys for Tots began in the fall of 1947 when Diane Hendricks, the wife of Major Bill Hendricks, USMCR, crafted a homemade doll with the intention of giving it to a needy child at Christmas. When they discovered that no agency existed to do this, Bill started one. In civilian life Hendricks was the Director of Public Relations for Warner Brothers Studio and had the idea of putting a toy collection barrel outside of the company's movie theaters. He partnered with journalist and fellow Marine John Hampton to lead the toy collections in the area. Hendricks convinced a vast array of celebrities to support Toys for Tots. Walt Disney designed the logo, which is still in use today, and in 1948 Toys for Tots became a nationwide initiative. Toys for Tots became a foundation in 1991.
Tricia Melzer Swaydrak, who began the "Toy-ful Celebration!" concert at the Glenview Community Church in 1993, reached out to Marine Air Control Group 48, which was located at the Naval Air Base in Glenview at that time. The Marines have come to appear at the concert since then, even though they moved to Highwood in 1995 and five years later moved to their current location at the Great Lakes Naval Station.
A native of Santiago, Chile, Guillermo Muñoz Küster earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Classical Guitar and Voice from Lebanon Valley College (Annville, PA) and a Master of Music degree in Conducting and Classical Guitar from the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University where he studied with conductors Robert Harris and Stephen Alltop and classical guitarist Anne Waller. Muñoz Küster brings has a diverse set of skills as a choral and orchestral conductor, classical guitarist, and singer. He has performed with ensembles such as Music of the Baroque and the Grant Park Symphony and has served as assistant conductor with the Apollo Chorus of Chicago, where he initially served as the chorus' first-ever conducting apprentice in its 143-year history and regularly conducted the ensemble on live TV appearances as well as concert performances. This is his fifth year as Director of the Glenview Community Church Chancel Choir.
The Village of Glenview collects toys at the five fire stations in Glenview. Along with the toys collected at the concert, the Glenview toy collection has grown into more than 2,000 toys annually.
Glenview Community Church is located at 1000 Elm Street (at Glenview Road). The building is handicap accessible and has free onsite parking. It is 3 blocks west of the Glenview Metra North train station.
Visit www.gccucc.org, email simplegifts@gccucc.org, or call (847) 724-2210 for further details.