Scion Owners Fill the Toy Chest for Needy Kids

Annual Scion Night Collects 27,000 Gifts for Toys for Tots, Celebrates Fans
Oct 18, 2013 1:55 PM ET

TORRANCE, Calif., Oct. 18, 2013 /3BL Media/ – The line of Scion owners held all the variety of a toy store in their arms. Thousands of action figures, games, trucks, dolls and more were donated to the Toys for Tots Foundation at the annual Scion Night held at Knott’s Scary Farm amusement park, attended by more than 12,500 owners and their guests.

“We appreciate all the Scion owners who donated this year to less fortunate kids, in what has become our region’s largest charitable event,” said Staff Sgt. Cedrick McKenzie for the Toys for Tots Foundation. “This partnership with Scion – and this year Toyota, too – has been an important piece of serving our communities and families around the holidays.” 

Scion Night is the brand’s largest owner appreciation event, and this year it included more than 13 car clubs from around Southern California and more than 3,500 Scion vehicles. For the past five years, the first 10,000 Scion owners and their guests who arrived in a Scion and brought a gift for Toys for Tots received free entry to the amusement park. More than 125,000 toys have been donated since the partnership began.

The federal government shutdown brought a new partnership to this year’s Scion Night. The military vehicles that collected the toys for low-income families were idled by the ongoing government shutdown. To fill the resource gap, Toyota provided 14 Tundra trucks to hold the items, and the toys were delivered to the Toys for Tots Foundation.

Near the tents with mounds of toys, guests waited for the Halloween-themed park to open. Some stayed near vehicles featuring custom body kits, aftermarket speakers and even a chandelier mounted inside an xB.  Ernie Villalvazo sat with members of the Fuscion Car Club, and said Scion has become a piece of his family’s life beyond the multiple vehicles they have owned.

“I volunteer at Scion charity car shows with my daughter, and it has become a bonding time for us,” he said.

Others sampled from food trucks, tried out a skate park and slid down a zip line. Park gates opened at 7 p.m. to the mazes, rides and musical entertainment.

“When you attend Scion Night, you see that the cars are often extensions of the owners and their passions are second to none,” said Dave Harbuck, Scion corporate manager. “There were many first-time visitors this year, and we will continue to evolve Scion Night alongside our fans to invite more into the Scion family and say ‘thank you’ to them.” 

For photos and participant feedback on the event, visit:

  • Blog: www.scion.com/blog
  • Twitter: #ScionNight
Media Contacts:

Scion Public Relations
Craig Taguchi
310.468.3282
craig_taguchi@scion.com

 

About Scion
Scion, from Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., was developed with a new generation of youthful buyers in mind. Scion’s mission is to provide distinctive products, the opportunity to personalize, and an innovative, consumer-driven process at the retail level. The brand features five groundbreaking models with a wide array of standard features: the xD urban subcompact five-door, the iconic xB urban utility vehicle, the tC sports coupe, the premium micro-subcompact iQ and the FR-S rear-wheel drive sports car. The Scion brand often applies new practices in all aspects of its business and pushes the creativity envelope with non-traditional advertising and marketing to engage young consumers. Scion also supports originality through its programs in the artistic community. For more information, visit www.scion.com
 
NOTE TO EDITORS: Photography and digital assets can be found at www.ScionNewsroom.com.