Deck the halls with thousands of toys — Recycled Percussion filling downtown building with free toys

LACONIA — Growing up, Justin Spencer’s family didn’t have much, he said.

“But my parents always made sure we had a special Christmas. My favorite holiday is Christmas, and my favorite hobby is giving things away. It’s a great time to be alive,” he said.

Spencer, along with his band, Recycled Percussion, and the retail and experience brand, Chaos and Kindness, have a years-long tradition of collecting and distributing gifts to people on Christmas. The toy giveaways have happened all over the country, but always with some activity in New Hampshire. This year, Spencer and company are making Laconia the headquarters for their holiday generosity.

On Wednesday, the Chaos and Kindness crew, including some 150 volunteers, were working to fill the former Evangelical church in Veterans Square with toys and gifts for children, who will be invited to come down today, Dec. 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to pick out whatever they like.

“Every kid gets to come down and pick out several toys, 100% free. It’s just an awesome thing to do,” Spencer said, adding that they welcome teenagers as well as young children.

Earlier this year, Spencer acquired the church building, which had been closed for some time after a failed attempt to convert it into a restaurant and bar. The toy drive event will serve as the unveiling of sorts of Spencer’s plans to use the building as a performance venue – although those who step foot inside for the toy event will see it transformed into a “Winter Wonderland,” Spencer promised.

Those who intend to come are asked to fill out a form, which is linked to the band’s Facebook page, so that organizers will be better prepared for those who are coming. But, Spencer said, no one will be turned away, even if they haven’t done the paperwork.

Spencer, who was spending the first part of the day on Wednesday driving around to buy gifts that will complement the stock already donated by individuals and businesses, said his Christmas missions have helped at least 25,000 children over the years. He said it’s what gets him in the “holiday spirit.”

“I’ve never had a Christmas where I didn’t facilitate gifts for kids or drive around and give out money,” said Spencer. He started more than a decade ago, while Recycled Percussion was based in Manchester and just beginning to gain traction. He filled his tiny condo with toys, mostly donated by fans, and used the band’s tour van to drive around and give them away.

Then, when the band hit it big in Las Vegas, he stepped up his game. He vividly remembers one particular experience, which epitomizes why he spends his holiday in this way. He had rented the largest limousine he could find, stuffed it with gifts, and then drove through the parts of the city that tourists never see, seeking out addresses given to him by the local schools.

“I knocked on the door and a little African-American boy opened the door,” Spencer said. The boy was maybe eight years old, he estimated, and behind him was a sad tableau: empty beer bottles and drug paraphernalia covering the coffee table, a Charlie Brown-style Christmas tree in the corner, and an adult woman sleeping on the couch. It was 11 a.m. “You couldn’t have painted a worse picture.”

Spencer said he roused the woman long enough to ask her permission to give the child some gifts, she nodded and went back to sleep, and Spencer walked the boy out to the limousine, where he spent about a half-hour exploring the vehicle and examining each gift before selecting those he wanted for his own.

“If we hadn’t shown up, this kid would have had nothing,” Spencer said. Sure, some children will come for a free gift even though they aren’t wanting, he said, but that’s not the point. “If we help a thousand kids and 950 of them don’t really need them, for those 50 kids that do, it makes it worth it.”

He said that his intention behind opening the world’s first Chaos and Kindness store in Laconia was to inspire the city where he was born, and where his family now lives. His Las Vegas style isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but, “We know in our heart of hearts that there are hundreds of kids in the Lakes Region that are going to have a Christmas because of our team. We take a lot of pride in that.”