Christmas Village Toy Shower is Friday

TORRINGTON — The Torrington Parks and Recreation Department and Commission will hold the annual Toy Shower for Christmas Village on Friday from 5-8 p.m. at the Coe Memorial Park Civic Center, 101 Litchfield St.

There will be light refreshments and plenty of entertainment provided by local area talent. The musical performances of the evening will be organized by Parks and Recreation Department, with sound and background music being provided by Vin Avallone. The Torrington High School Choir, along with several former Northwest Idol contestants will perform at the Toy Shower.

The shower is held every year to raise money to support Christmas Village and to purchase toys for all children who visit Santa at the Village. For those unable to attend the Toy Shower, WZBG 97.3 FM will once again host an all-day telethon for the benefit of Christmas Village, on a date to be announced. During that day, pledges may be called in to the radio station at 860-567-3697.

Thousands of people visited Christmas Village last year. Each child is given a gift, and has the opportunity to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, watch the elves make toys, listen to Christmas music, sample hot chocolate, and watch Santa’s reindeer play. Christmas Village, located at 150 Church Street, is scheduled to open on Dec. 10, marking its 70th anniversary. Christmas Village will be open Dec. 10-23 from 1- 8:30 p.m. before officially closing on Christmas Eve, when it will be open from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Parks and Recreation Commission thanked in advance the various local organizations who continue to support Christmas Village with their monetary and in-kind donations, as well as the many dedicated individuals who volunteer their time each year.

All monetary donations received help with the operation of Christmas Village and assist the Parks and Recreation Department in keeping Carl Bozenski’s dream alive for future generations to enjoy. For more information, contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 860-489-2274. hope to those who lost everything during the devastating hurricane season.”.

The Red Cross Ball will feature an evening full of fun and inspiration featuring a live and silent auction and live band. Mohegan Sun is a proud sponsor of this year’s Red Cross Ball.

Sponsorship opportunities are now available. For more information, contact Libby Richardson at Libby.Richardson@redcross.org or 860-678-4310. Tickets can be purchased at www.redcross.org/ RedCrossBall.