Our daily morning column, 5 Things You Need to Know, provides you with information that can help you plan your day and give you some fodder for water cooler conversations.

1. A huge community rally was held last night for the Framingham Flyers 7th grade football team at Bowditch Field. The 31 Framingham Youth Football players leave this morning for Florida to compete in the American Youth Football national playoffs. This is the first-ever Framingham Youth Football team to qualify for this honor. Framingham Patch will have more photos and video from the rally up shortly. Donations are still needed to help defray the more than $45,000 cost of this once-in-a-lifetime experience for the players and coaches. More than $30,000 has been raised thus far. Go Flyers!

2.  Stop by O'Connell's Pub between 1 and 4 p.m. today for a meat shoot (think of it as a BINGO game for food prizes). All proceeds go to a toy drive which benefits children's hospital. The toy drive was started more than 15 years ago, said Megan Macbey. "We collect money from local businesses and individuals in the area and use the donations to purchase toys, which we then drop off at Children's Hospital the week before Christmas. Despite the hospital's best efforts and resources to get every child home for Christmas, the fact is some of them are just too sick to leave the hospital ...and those are the children who get our toys. The hospital uses any leftover toys for birthdays and other holidays to brighten a sick child's bad day," said Macbey.

3. The 4th Annual Framingham High School Holiday Marketplace takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

4. Framingham High School Drama Company will stage its final performance of Romeo & Juliet for the public tonight at 7:30 at the high school's auditorium. Tickets are $12 online at www.showtix4u.com or $14 at the door.

5. Don't want to drive into Boston to see the Nutcracker? Then consider attending a local performance. Dance Prism will stage the beloved holiday classic at Natick High this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. and tonight at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are still available. $22 adults, $16 children.