When it starts to get cold, there is nothing better than listening to cozy music and spreading holiday cheer with acts of kindness. Loudoun Symphonic Winds, a community-based band, brings this spirit to life by hosting a special toy drive concert to collect new, unwrapped toys for children in need while playing everyone’s favorite festive classics.

Loudoun Symphonic Winds operates under Loudoun Community Band, Inc., a non-profit organization that has performed for residents in the county for over 30 years. This annual toy drive concert has been a tradition since 2003, when the band partnered with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation. Each year, the toys are distributed to over 25,000 children across Loudoun County, making the holidays brighter and more memorable for families in the community. 

Music director Dr. Gilbert Corella, a dedicated member of the band for over 25 years, shared what he believes makes the event worth attending.  

“Our performers dress festively, with lots of greens and reds, and some of our members get very creative,” Dr. Corella said. “For example, one of our bassoonists dresses up her bassoon to look like a candy cane, and we have members who place blinking lights on their instruments. And of course, there’s the variety of ugly Christmas sweaters that our members will wear. We also encourage audience members to dress up and join in on the fun!”

The event requires a lot of coordination behind the scenes from multiple parties. From arranging plentiful seating and setting up the performers’ instruments to promoting the concert over digital platforms and social media, putting on the event takes a lot of time and dedication to make the event as successful as it can be for listeners in the county and those in need. 

“There’s a great deal of coordination that goes on,” Dr. Corella said. “As with every concert, we have to coordinate with the facility to set up our percussion and seating. Our marketing team works hard to publicize the event on various websites, sending press releases out to the local media, and frequent messaging to our subscriber base. We also have a terrific social media team that produces great content on Facebook and Instagram. As the music director, I’m always looking for new music for the band to perform, while finding selections that resonate and are of great appeal to our audiences.”

Dr. Corella admits that the biggest challenge for a concert and donation drive is attracting a large audience, which Loudoun Symphonic Winds has done effectively in the past and is planning to do again this year. 

“Last year, Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church hosted the event in their Atonement Hall, and we had more than 300 community members attend–there was no room to spare!” Dr. Corella said. “We also invited Supervisor Sylvia Glass from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors to narrate ‘The Night Before Christmas,’ which she did beautifully and in character, no less. We’re grateful for her support and are looking forward to her attending this year’s concert, along with Vice Chair Mike Turner, also from the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. We’d love to see more people participate, along with community leaders. This year, the event will be at Park View High School, so there’ll be more seating room. I’d like to give a special shout out to the school’s leadership and particularly from Mr. Claude LeGrande, Director of Bands.” 

The performance is vital to both the present and future success of the event and the growing collection of toys. The diligent effort that goes into the concert is an all-around effort that Loudoun Community Band President Amber Pezan is proud to recognize. 

“While Gil is absolutely correct in framing the challenge of advertising this concert, I want to also reiterate that Gil and the musicians work very hard on the music to ensure we’re the best we can be while performing,” Pezan said. “If our music doesn’t sound good, no one will attend next year to bring toys. Our music is the conduit for this event!” 

The concert shines light on families in need, offering the community a chance to come together and help remind everyone that the holidays aren’t about the gifts themselves, but about the joy of giving and spreading holiday spirit. 

“This time of year is very special to me,” Dr. Corella said. “It’s the season of giving, and my heart goes out to those families who have little or nothing to spare. I grew up in a household where we had little to nothing. I remember my first Christmas when moving to Texas with my family, spending our first Christmas in a shabby motel. It was rather depressing and sad, and makes me really thankful for what I have. I’m always excited about this concert–this is the most personal and important of all the events Loudoun Symphonic Winds presents!” 

The concert will take place on Dec. 13 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Park View High School. The event is free for all to attend. For more information, visit the event website at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/loudoun-symphonic-winds-annual-toy-drive.