Wash, DC Toys for Tots/Santas Little Helpers at Springfield Mall

I'm working on setting up a charity event for Garrison Tyranus, and I'd like to invite you to join us if you're interested. We would be volunteering to help out with a program that benefits Toys for Tots and Fairfax County Schools. Here is information on the program from the Washington Post:

Marketing Students To Help Kids Shop
Thursday, November 27, 2003; Page VA22
Beginning tomorrow, marketing students from Fairfax County's Springfield Classroom-on-the-Mall program will sponsor Santa's
Little Helpers, a holiday gift store for shoppers ages 3 to 12 on the upper level of Springfield Mall.

Items will be less than $10 for children to purchase gifts for parents, teachers, relatives and friends. The choices will include ornaments, picture frames, toys, mugs, beanbag animals and key chains.
Marketing students from county schools will help the children shop and then wrap the presents.

The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow. After that, it will be open weekends through Dec. 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays. The store will also be open from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Dec. 12, and Dec. 15-19.
In addition to helping young shoppers, the store helps the marketing students gain experience in running a real store and managing a business.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots charity.

I spoke with representatives for Classroom on the Mall, who are running the program. They said that they would certainly be able to use costumed help to bring in shoppers to the program by handing out flyers and attracting attention. The program benefits both Toys for Tots and Fairfax County Schools.

If you're interested in assisting at Santa's Little Helpers on 12/14, 12/20 or 12/21, please let me know as soon as possible so I can tell them that we're rolling. Please let me know which of those
dates you'd be interested in. Thanks!

 

PM sent about helping for this

 

this is out-of costume, right? the only day I might be able to help is the 14th. I am busy with three parties the next weekend.

 

In costume or out of costume is fine...any help is appreciated. I'll add your name to the list of people interested in volunteering on the 14th. Thanks for responding!

 

That's a really good thing! I'll have to check and see if we're free to help. I know the kids love that sort of thing - my little nephew was so happy to do his very own shopping with no help from Mom and he was so excited about giving us the presents he picked out for everyone all on his own last year at a similar program at his school.

 

Can't do the 14th, but the 20th or 21st might be doable. I will check and get back to you!

 

I just spoke with Tish from Springfield Mall Management, and I'm not sure if it will make sense to volunteer in costume for Santa's Little Helpers over the next two weekends. Mall management will NOT allow us to stroll through the common areas of the mall in costume, so logistically this could become impossible. Santa's Little Helpers was interested in having us distribute flyers to bring people into their location, but we can't do that in costume and therefore our benefit will be diminished.

I've left a message for Melanie at Classroom-at-the-Mall, which is running the Santa's Little Helpers store. I'll talk to her and see whether there is really any benefit to our presence in costume at all; we may need to either have volunteers in street clothes, or to cancel altogether, which would be a shame.

Please send me an e-mail at lfrye @cox.net if you're interested in volunteering on Sunday, 12/14 or Saturday, 12/20 in street clothes if costumes are not practical. I'll keep you posted on whether we'll be volunteering or not. Thanks!

-Lori

 

I'm afraid Springfield Mall Management and Classroom-on-the-Mall backed out of the event at the last minute, so we'll have to cancel. I'll continue to post 501st events on the FanForce board, so I hope you can join us for a future event. Thanks to everyone who volunteered to help!

-Lori Frye
Garrison Tyranus

 

that's too bad. perhaps you'll have better luck next time!