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Arts & Entertainment

Fiddlers ReStrung Play Holiday Hometown Concert for Toys for Tots on Dec. 4

Fiddlers ReStrung and the Saline Area Fire Department collected 1,500 toys for Saline Area Social Services last year.

Fiddlers ReStrung announced its annual Holiday Hometown Concert for Toys for Tots will be Sunday, Dec. 4, at the Ewing Performing Arts Center at Saline High School. 

In what has become an annual holiday tradition, the concert will feature local performing groups in addition to a feature concert by Saline’s beloved Fiddlers ReStrung. Appearing on stage with Fiddlers ReStrung will be the local group Appleseed Collective and singers from the Chorus performing holiday favorites.

Also, in what has also become a seasonal tradition, Fiddlers ReStrung will again be cooperating with the collection for deserving children in the Saline and Washtenaw County communities. Last year’s campaign raised more than 1,500 toys in support of the program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. For the past four years, the Fire Department and Fiddlers ReStrung have collected more than 4,000 toys distributed by .

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 “The Toys for Tots campaign demonstrates in a very meaningful way the great relationship that exists in our community between the Fire Department, Fiddlers ReStrung and, of course, the Saline community itself,” said Hoeft. “On behalf of the families benefiting from this holiday generosity, I cannot say enough about the inspiring outpouring of holiday spirit we receive every year.”

The Saline Fire Dept. has hosted a toy collection to benefit children identified through Saline Social Services for many years. Eight years ago Saline firefighter and U.S. Marine Corps Reservist Kurt Schneider initiated the fire department’s alliance with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves’ Toys for Tots program. 

Toys for Tots Began in 1947, when Major Bill Hendricks, USCR and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. In 1948, Walt Disney designed the Toys for Tots logo, which we use today. 

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Disney also designed the first Toys for Tots poster used to promote the nationwide program. Nat “King” Cole, Peggy Lee and Vic Damone recorded the Toys for Tots theme composed by Sammy Fain and Paul Webster in 1956.  Bob Hope, John Wayne, Doris Day, Lorrie Morgan, Tim Allen, Kenny Rogers and Billy Ray Cyrus are but a few of the long list of celebrities who have given their time and talent to promote Toys for Tots. First Lady Nancy Reagan served as the national Spokesperson in 1983. First Lady Barbara Bush served as the national Spokesperson in 1992 and in her autobiography named Toys for Tots as one of her favorite charities.

The Appleseed Collective is a 4-piece Americana-jazz-folk outfit from Ann Arbor formed in late November 2010. By the end of December that year, they were headlining the Blind Pig, and they were recently declared "Rookies of the Year" by radio DJ and local music guru Matthew Altruda of Tree Town Sound.

Fiddlers ReStrung is a 21-piece string ensemble featured at over 80 performances annually consisting of students at Saline High School, all of whom share in producing a unique ensemble truly their own. The organization is officially sponsored and supported by Saline Area Schools and Saline Community Education. Students are chosen based not only on musical talent, but personal maturity as well balancing a demanding performance schedule while maintaining high standards in other school activities, sports, and academics.

For additional information on this event or Fiddlers ReStrung, please contact Rebecca Groeb-Driskill, Cultural Arts Specialist, Saline Area Schools at (734) 429-8000 ext. 2338 or at groebr@saline.k12.mi.us. You can also visit the group’s website at www.fiddlersrestrung.com or call (734) 224-8725 to purchase and reserve tickets.

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