Sweetwater, Mill Valley Fire Dept. Launch Toys for Tots Drive During Hard Working Americans’ 4-Night Run

Jam band fans have an opportunity to catch a four-night run of rock supergroup Hard Working Americans at the Sweetwater Music Hall Dec. 15–18, and to donate new unwrapped toys to Toys for Tots in the process. The downtown Mill Valley music venue connected with the Mill Valley Fire Department, which has been coordinating a donation program in southern Marin for more than two decades, for the much-needed drive.

Mill Valley Fire’s program accommodates both a distribution to the Toys for Tots Foundation and via Performing Stars of Marin, which distributes toys to children a few days before Christmas at the Manzanita Recreation Center in Marin City. 

Hard Working Americans are laden with household names in the rock and jam band scene, including Todd Snider, longtime Widespread Panic bassist David Schools, Neal Casal of Chris Robinson Brotherhood on guitar and vocals, Chad Staehly of Great American Taxi on keyboards and Duane Trucks, younger brother of guitar great Derek Trucks on drums.

“I bet this week is going to be really interesting,” Snider told Relix magazine of the Sweetwater shows. “Four nights in Mill Valley? That could get fun… I know the venue is why we wanted to be there for so many days. It has one of the best sound systems, period. And, then, Bob Weir is a Mt. Rushmore songwriter.”

Toys for Tots donation bins are already placed outside the Sweetwater Music Hall at 19 Corte Madera Ave., and donors don’t need to attend the shows. More info on the Hard Working Americans’ four-night run.