On Saturday, Dec. 21, at 1 p.m., kids of all ages and their families are invited to attend a special matinee of the popular Disney•Pixar animated feature “The Incredibles” at the Sebastiani Theatre located on the Plaza.
The only admission price will be a new, unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots toy drive in the Sonoma Valley. Since Toys for Tots is the official charity of the United States Marine Corps Reserve, Marines in dress blues will collect the toys at the door. Santa Claus is scheduled to make a guest appearance following the movie.
Sonoma’s John Lasseter is the chief creative officer at Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, and was the executive producer for “The Incredibles” which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. This will be the fifth year in a row in which he has generously provided a special screening of one of Disney•Pixar’s films at the Sebastiani Theatre in support of the Toys for Tots campaign.
Over the past four years, this event has featured the Disney•Pixar’s “Toy Story 2,” “Cars,” “Cars 2” and “Brave.” Each year this event has ranked as one of the top venues to collect toys for the Toys for Tots campaign in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Coincidentally, in 1948 Walt Disney designed the Toys for Tots train logo, which is still used today.Disney also designed the first Toys for Tots poster used to promote the nationwide program.
Local Sonoma resident and former Marine Cap. Bob Leonard has been the coordinator for this event every year since 2009. He invites all who support Toys for Tots to attend the movie. “If you don’t have any children or grandchildren nearby to bring, it’s still OK to attend yourself and bring a toy for the Toys for Tots program,” Leonard said.
Anyone who is not able to attend the event, but would like to donate to Toys for Tots, may drop off new, unwrapped toys at the Sonoma office of Alain Pinel Realtors (located at 522 Broadway) or at the Synergy Dental Group office (located at 660 3rd Street West) before Dec. 13. Alain Pinel Realtors and Synergy Dental Group are among the 27 Sonoma Valley businesses that have volunteered as official 2013 toy drive campaign distribution points.
The event is co-sponsored by local Alain Pinel Realtor Kathleen Leonard; Kimberly Hubenette D.D.S. & Synergy Dental Group, Roger Rhoten and the Sebastiani Theatre; and the Wine Country Marines.
The toy drive campaign is being locally coordinated and supported by the Wine Country Marines in conjunction with the Marine Corps League Detachment in Santa Rosa. Marine veteran and Sonoma resident Bryan Aubin is the 2013 Toys For Tots campaign chairman for the Sonoma Valley. His wife, Shauna, is the co-chairman. The local toy drive seeks to help Sonoma families first. If there is a local family in need, the Aubins will make sure they get a toy. Those looking to suggest a local recipient should email their request to bryan.aubin@gmail.com or phone 933-8997.
Toys not distributed to families in the Sonoma Valley are taken to Santa Rosa where the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve distributes them to the needy.
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