Marine Forces concert to benefit ‘Toys for Tots’

The Marine Forces Reserve Band will have a Christmas concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium benefiting the local Toys for Tots drive.

Admission is free, but the Marine Corps League-St. Mary Detachment will accept donations of new, unwrapped toys. Toy donations will go toward the detachment’s annual Toys for Tots drive.

About one-quarter of the toys received during the Toys for Tots drive each year are collected at the concert, said Bill Goessl, the detachment’s Toys for Tots coordinator.

During the drive, organizers serve roughly 1,000 children in need in St. Mary Parish and lower St. Martin Parish. Boxes to collect toys for the drive will also be placed at area businesses and schools probably starting shortly after Thanksgiving, Goessl said.

Toys will be collected during Gulf State Wrestling’s event Nov. 25 at the Bayou Vista Community Center. Doors open at 3 p.m. with bell time at 4 p.m.

Applications to receive toys will be accepted through Dec. 5 at St. Mary Outreach in Morgan City for residents east of the Calumet bridge and lower St. Martin Parish, the St. Mary Chamber of Commerce office in Franklin for residents west of the Calumet bridge, and the West St. Mary Civic Center in Four Corners on the extreme west end of St. Mary Parish.

Officials will distribute toys from 8 a.m.-noon Dec. 15 at VFW Post 4222 in Morgan City, chamber office in Franklin and West St. Mary Civic Center.

The Marine Forces Reserve Band performs over 350 concerts, parades and ceremonies for more than 8 million people annually, a news release said.

The band was established in 1978 and stands as one of 10 Marine Corps fleet bands. The unit comprises active duty Marines stationed aboard the Marine Corps Support Facility in New Orleans.

The band is attached to Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North, traveling to numerous stateside locations to provide musical support for all units of the Fourth Marine Logistics Group, Fourth Marine Aircraft Wing, Fourth Marine Division and Force Headquarters Group.

All members of the band are trained riflemen and fulfill Corps-wide physical fitness and combat training requirements, just like any other active duty Marines. The band can be called upon to provide security, both domestically and overseas, by order of Marine Forces Reserve, the release said.

To send monetary donations for the Toys for Tots drive, make checks or money orders payable to Toys for Tots and mail them to P.O. Box 1383, Morgan City, LA 70381. All donations sent to the P.O. Box stay in the area.

The St. Mary detachment’s main site for collections is Quality Cleaners, 1013 8th St. in Morgan City.

Drop box locations in east St. Mary Parish are available at the following locations.

Morgan City

M C Bank & Trust (Victor II Boulevard), M C Bank & Trust (La. 182), Regions Bank, Patterson State Bank, Iberia Bank, MidSouth Bank, Morgan City Health Care, Maison Jardin, Walgreens, Central Catholic, Morgan City High, Morgan City Junior High, Superior Rent-to-Own, Gulfland Office Supplies, CVS Pharmacy, Anytime Fitness, U.S. Coast Guard, Dollar General, Family Dollar Store, Young Memorial, Oceaneering, Intermoor, Cummins Mid-South, Chabill’s, Courtesy GMC and Courtesy Toyota.

Berwick

AJ Dohmann, Dollar General, Berwick High, Junior High and Elementary.

Bayou Vista

Dollar General, Anytime Fitness, Iberia Bank, M C Bank & Trust, John Cart State Farm, Cameron IronWorks, Wal-Mart and Chabill’s.

Patterson

Dollar General, Family Dollar Store, Patterson State Bank, Patterson Healthcare, Frank’s Agency and Patterson High.

Amelia

M C Bank & Trust, Dollar General, Family Dollar Store and BNA Marine.