Ms. Alaska Leather 2008 is hosting a fundraiser for Toys for “Nots” on Dec. 19, with a Christmas food sale and gift auction at Mad Myrna’s. Her goal is to raise at least $500 dollars worth of donations to buy items for families in need, as the Toys for Nots committee did last year.

Tami won the title of Ms. Alaska Leather last January at Arctic Heat, the titleholder event for The Last Frontier Men’s Club. 

Toys for Tots collects donated Christmas toys for needy families and is sponsored by the United States Marine Corps. But what is Toys for Nots? 

Keith, President of the Men’s Club, explained the story behind the name: 

A few years ago, the Duke and Duchess of the Imperial Court held a Toys for Tots fundraiser and recieved hundreds of toys for donation. When the Marines were called to pick up the toys, the ducals were told to put the toys outside on the icy sidewalk, because the Marines wouldn’t enter Mad Myrna’s. They will accept toys from the gay community, but they are afraid to walk into a gay bar to pick up our donations. 

So the ducals renamed the event Toys for Nots and give first choice to the children of gay families in need. Remaining gifts are offered to the Toys for Tots program. 

“We did receive an apology phone call from a Ft. Richardson general promising that it would never happen again,” wrote Keith. “However, they have not picked up our donations for the past 3 years.”

The Toys for Nots Fundraiser is Dec. 19, 2008, from 6:30-9 p.m. at Mad Myrna’s.