Firefighters’ holiday spirit sparked

Deepa Bharath

It’s one spark local firefighters have deliberately kept alive for

the last 10 years.

The Spark of Love toy drive began 10 years ago as a collaboration

between firefighters in Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside and

San Bernardino counties.

It continues to pick up momentum every year, especially in local

communities, said Donna Boston, spokeswoman for the Newport Beach

Fire Department.

“It’s wonderful to see how the community comes together every

year,” she said. “The response gets better.”

This year’s toy drive is more special because the toys would go to

several victims of the fires that ravaged communities across Southern

California, Boston said.

“That really hits close to home for firefighters,” she said.

Spark of Love usually teams with Toys for Tots, a toy drive local

police departments are participating in.

“That way, the toys are equally divided,” Boston said.

The Costa Mesa Fire Department has also participated in the Spark

of Love toy drive since its inception in 1993, spokeswoman Cheryl

Wills said.

“On Christmas Eve, we’ll take the toys to the Marine base in

Irvine,” she said.

From there, the toys will be distributed by St. Vincent de Paul

Church in Irvine, Wills said.

Costa Mesa will have collection boxes at all six fire stations, at

three Sav-On stores in the city and at the Costa Mesa Credit Union on

Harbor Boulevard.

Newport Beach residents can drop of the new, unwrapped toys at any

of the fire stations, at Newport Beach City Hall or at any of the

Sav-On stores in the city.

Last year, the toy drive collected and distributed more than

275,000 toys to children in Orange County communities. About 500,000

toys were collected throughout the five counties.