On Sunday, December 6, 2009 the 15th Annual Toys for Tots Benefit show was held at Biff Burger in St. Petersburg, Florida. The event started off with partly cloudy skies, and a chilly 44 degrees greeted participants as they registered their rides. Early birds took advantage of the great breakfast menu, as well as some hot coffee to help warm up. The show registration officially started at 10:00am, but by then a large number of show cars were already on hand, and once opened, a commemorative patch or lapel pin was given out upon registration, and event T-shirts were also offered for sale. As the crowd of spectators as well as show cars continued to arrive, a gradual thaw took place as the sun tried to peek thru and move the temperature upwards.

Meanwhile, the Downshifters of Brooklyn assisted participants with parking their rides, and after the car owners spent time checking out the show cars, many settled in, gathering in the sports bar area to view the NFL football games as lunch rolled around. The Downshifters of Brooklyn once again also handled the judging duties, and while they were out looking the show cars over, the famous live auction took place under the roof over the Biff Burger stage. The auction is the main activity of the event, with great bargains on hotel stays, beer signs, cool sports memorabilia, gift certificates and merchandise as well as services offered by local merchants are all up for bids with all of the money generated going to Toys for Tots.

Once the auction was completed, the awards ceremony took place. The Marines were also on hand throughout the day, and after viewing the quality show vehicles, picked out their favorite ride for the Marines’ Choice award. Trophies were also awarded for the Top 40 vehicles, and specialty awards were given out as well, including Biff’s Choice. A 50/50 drawing was held, with $625 going to the winner, who was generous and donated $200 to the Matching pot, which made the donation actually $400, since every dollar collected by the Matching Pot was doubled by area sponsors of the event.

This show has been going strong for 15 years, and along with the Bike show, the proceeds from this event has made Biff Burger the largest independent contributor to Toys For Tots in the country. Posted on their website are totals, which as of this writing were $33,000 and over 10,000 toys, which is great considering the state of our economy. The thought of any child going without a toy for Christmas is a sad one, but with the help of the Marines, Toys For Tots, Biff Burger, the Downshifters of Brooklyn, the many sponsors and participants of the 15th Annual Toys for Tots event, many children’s frowns were turned to smiles during the Christmas season. For more information on the events held at Biff Burger, including the 2010 Toys For Tots show, visit their web site at www.biffburgers.com or check the Coming Attractions section of Mike Kelly’s Cruise News. CN