Local musicians perform for great holiday cause

By Anne Eickstadt

REPORTER

The seventh annual Toys for Tots Christmas Concert was held at the Community Building Complex of Boone County on Saturday, Dec. 10.

Sgt. Kerry Kline, Senior Vice Commandant of Rockford Marine Corps League greeted everyone at the front door.

“We cover Boone, Winnebago, and Stevenson Counties,” he said. “We will be helping about 6,000 kids this year. Our big distribution will be at the Rockford Metro Center on Saturday. Thank you to all the generous people who brought toys and to our sponsors.”

The Metro Center is located at 300 Elm St. in Rockford.

Two comfort dogs also greeted visitors at the concert door. Kye and Bekah are trained LCC K-9 comfort dogs at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Belvidere. They interact with people at churches, schools, nursing homes, hospitals, events, and in disaster response situations. They bring a calming influence and allow people to open up their hearts and receive help for what is affecting them.

Comfort Dog Kye wore a camo vest which indicated he was being handled by a vet.

“We are a Christian organization which provides comfort and healing for tragic events and help for veterans,” veteran Jay Gettings said. “Kye has been to Sandy Hook [the elementary school shooting in 2012] and has travelled all over the country.”

Brenda McElroy also assisted with the Toys for Tots Christmas Concert through the Helping Hands Network.

“We help people in the community who are struggling; people who are in need. Those who do not have others helping them with medical equipment, gas bills, or slightly used furniture,” McElroy said.

Helping Hands volunteers took admissions for the concert and ran the raffle basket sales. They made sure that there were plenty of cookies, coffee, cider, and hot chocolate for concert goers.

“The concert is sponsored by Helping Hands,” Dan Holmes said. “We just make the music. This is all benefit – no one is making a dime.”

Holmes was the featured performer for the concert.

Holmes described himself as “an old school singer/songwriter bringing a Christian message of hope. Armed with an acoustic guitar, I create music that celebrates what God is doing in us, for us, and through us.”

Joining Dan Holmes onstage was Lynn Swanson, Dave Walters, and Cindy Poulter.

“This is our seventh annual concert, and it is always very well received. The Toys for Tots folks really appreciate it. The Helping Hands Network got involved also, and now the concert helps two organizations. It’s a great Christmas event and gets people into the mood.”

The songs for the evening ranged from Elvis Presley Christmas songs to music from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra with gospel music and favorite hymns. Holmes sang some of his original pieces as well.

For more information about Dan Holmes, go to: www.danholmesmusic.com.

“We do it for Toys for Tots and to help out the community,” Holmes said. “We help out the community with fundraisers such as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and other causes.”

The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation can be found online at www.toysfortots.org.

For more information about the Helping Hands Foundation and the Immanuel Lutheran Comfort Dogs, go to: www.immanuelbelvidere.org.