Students spark toy drive

Marisa O’Neil

Two classes at Harbor View Elementary School in Corona del Mar

decided to forgo their holiday party this year, instead opting to

donate toys to needy children through the Spark of Love toy drive.

Students, many of whom raised their own money, will walk their

gifts down to the Corona del Mar fire station this morning, teacher

Patti Clark said.

A group of brand-new bicycles, including a little one with

training wheels and streamers on the handlebars, sat in front of a

Newport Beach fire station Wednesday, just waiting for children to

ride them.

The bicycles, along with a bin full of toys, were donated to the

annual Spark of Love toy drive, which collects Christmas presents for

children in need. And on Wednesday morning, firefighters at Newport

Beach Fire Station No. 7 were loading up a trailer with toys

collected at local fire stations.

“Hey, Barrel of Monkeys,” Newport Beach Firefighter Dan Chapman

said with recognition as he picked up a longtime favorite and put it

in the trailer.

Care Bears, Play-Doh, Nerf balls and lots of other toys will be

going to local children through the toy drive, Newport Beach Fire

Department spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz said. Fire departments in five

Southern California counties participate in the program each year.

Last year, 500,000 new, unwrapped toys were collected and

distributed, she said. Of those, 300,000 came from Orange County.

“But there are 350,000 requests [for toys in Orange County],” she

said. “So we’re still not satisfying their needs.”

A “toy collaborative” in Orange County coordinates the Spark of

Love with the Toys for Tots and Operation Santa Claus toy drives,

Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Stephen Miller said. That helps

act as a clearing house for St. Vincent de Paul, a nonprofit

organization designed to help the nation’s poor, which gives out the

toys to children who need them most, he said.

The drive is still lagging behind last year, Miller said. They are

especially in need of toys for infants and teenagers.

Some Costa Mesa businesses are getting creative with their

donations, said Brenda Emrick, fire-prevention specialist for Costa

Mesa.

“Instead of a gift exchange with one another, they’re going to

bring a gift to donate,” she said.

Night spot Sutra Lounge in Triangle Square is holding a jazz

concert Wednesday, offering customers a discounted entry if they

bring a new, unwrapped toy worth $10, Emrick said.

People who wish to donate to the campaign can bring a new,

unwrapped to any local fire station. The toy drive runs through

Christmas Eve, but the sooner toys are donated, the easier it is to

make sure the children get them in time for Christmas Day, Schulz

said.

* MARISA O’NEIL covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4618 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.