Lend a helping hand to Toys for Tots, swing your partner

By NORRIS LEDYARD

Expositor Staff Writer

ARCHBOLD - Sunday, Nov. 15 from 2 to 5 p.m., there will be a Toys For Tots dance at Ruihley Park Pavilion, 320 W. Holland St. in Archbold. Admission is a new $5 unwrapped toy or $5 to be donated to Toys For Tots. The U. S. Marine Reserves will be in attendance to collect the donations.

Galen and Jane Hibbard are the hosts for the Toys for Tots dance. Galen was calling Western square dancing at Auburn, Ind. a few years ago when the Indiana clubs got together for a Toys for Tots dance and liked the idea.

"We should be getting five to six squares going during our dance," said Galen Hibbard. That's about 40 to 50 people for those who are unfamiliar to Western square dancing.

"We'll to some square dances, some line dancing and also some round dancing before the afternoon is over," said Galen. "The affair is open to the public, so bring a toy and we'll find a dance to work as many folks onto the dance floor. Later that afternoon, we'll have some U. S. Marines here to collect the toys and money. All the money raised will go to Toys for Tots."

Sponsored by Borderline Squares of Morenci, Mich., Delta Shirts and Skirts of Delta, Fountain City Squares of Bryan, Shooting Stars of Stryker and the Turkeyfoot Trotters of Archbold, there will be plenty of snacks, a 50/50 drawing with callers, cuers and line dance leaders from the surrounding area.

The toys gathered by Marine Weapons Company 1 / 24 out of Perrysburg will be distributed to deserving children in the Williams, Henry and Fulton county areas. There are also collection boxes at the Woodforest Bank in the Napoleon Wal-Mart and at the Archbold Dollar General store on South Defiance Street near the registers.

Since 1948, in each community in which a U. S. Marine Reserve Center was located, the Marines have conducted a Toys for Tots campaign. The hallmark for the program is to "bring the joy of Christmas to America's needy children." From Christmas 1980, the Marines have collected and distributed only new toys.

Since its inception, the Marines have distributed more than 400 million toys to more than 188 million children nationwide. This charitable endeavor has made the U. S. Marines the unchallenged leader in looking after the less fortunate children at Christmas.

So just do-si-do - it's for a most worthy cause at the third annual Toys For Tots dance in Archbold.