Rockford manufacturer to deliver more than 2,000 gifts for Salvation Army in Rockford

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A local manufacturer is gifting hundreds of toys and household essential items to help families in need this holiday season.

425 Manufacturing, 2500 Harrison Ave., will deliver more than 2,000 items this afternoon to the 12 Hours of Salvation Toy Drive at Lou Bachrodt, 7070 Cherryvale N. Blvd. The annual drive benefits local kids and families through the Salvation Army of Rockford & Winnebago County.

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Major Monty Wandling, coordinator for the Salvation Army of Rockford & Winnebago County, said there are more than 2,500 children signed up to receive gifts this year. He said he appreciates businesses such as 425 Manufacturing who use their success to help others in the community.

“They care about the community and are finding ways to help,” Wandling said. “I stand in awe of 425 and others who come and take their time and money and put all the effort in what they do to make a big difference for the youth in our community.”

425 Manufacturing’s haul includes board games, toys, Barbies, sports equipment and a dozen mini sewing machines, to name a few items. There are also essentials such as diaper wipes, shampoos, razors and curling irons.

The drive runs until 7 p.m. tonight at Lou Bachrodt. This is the 27th year it has hosted the 12 hours drive, which is expected to surpass 200,000 total gifts this year, Wandling said.

“It’s people like 425 that make these things possible,” he said. “People are coming in and bringing in gifts throughout the day, but it’s companies like this who show their heart and their love for the community.”

Families registered through the Salvation Army will pick out their gifts later this month. The Salvation Army sets up a shopping experience for families to pick out a toy for their kids and also leave with a box of food for Christmas dinner.

Mike Thomason, owner of 425 Manufacturing, said the company has been donating to the drive for the past nine years.

“It was very small donations when we started, just what we could come up with the employees and ourselves,” he said.

This year, they tied the drive into a sales promotion in order to ramp up their ability to give. The 9-year-old manufacturer has been growing each year, including its recent move into a larger home on Harrison Avenue. It employs about 20 people.

“It took a lot of people to get us to this point,” Thomason said. “We’re at a point where we can come back and support the community the same way they’ve supported us.”

How to donate

What: Lou Bachrodt’s 27th Annual “12 Hours of Salvation” to benefit the Salvation Army of Rockford and Winnebago County runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. You can drop off toys anytime in those hours.

Where: Lou Bachrodt, 7070 Cherryvale N. Blvd., Rockford

Donate online: Go HERE

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas