Community Comes Together to Bring Toys to East L.A. Children 

Bridge Publications joined East L.A. officials and community leaders in making the holiday special for local children.

Even though the temperature was in the 60s, there was snow on the ground at Belvedere Park in East Los Angeles Saturday, December 3, at Los Angeles County’s free “Parks After Dark Winter Wonderland.” The event was cohosted by First District Supervisor Hilda Solis. 

From 4 to 8 p.m. children sledded down hills of real snow, jumped in the bouncy houses and played other games. Santa Claus and the Grinch made an appearance and carolers entertained those attending with Christmas favorites. 

There were plenty of toys for the children, thanks to the community toy drive headed by the East L.A. Sheriff’s Department. 

Staff of City of Commerce-based Bridge Publications, publisher of the nonfiction works of L. Ron Hubbard, and their friends and families, took part in the toy drive along with City of Commerce Vice Mayor Hugo Argumedo, media and mailing company Valassis, and the Rotary Club of Montebello. And they helped hand the toys out to local children.

“Children are the future,” said Camila Gonzalez, Director of Public Relations for Bridge Publications. “It’s a magical time of the year but many local children cannot experience it fully. That’s why we reached out to Sergeant Ibarra from the East L.A. Sheriff’s Department to help make the Holidays brighter for local children.”

 

Through their combined efforts, the team collected 2,000 toys for the event. 

It was a fun-filled afternoon for all concerned, not the least for those on the giving end of the evening, including a seven-year-old boy, inspired by the holiday spirit, who came up to the team, not to ask for toys but to distribute them to other children.

For more information on Bridge Publications, visit their website at www.bridgepub.com or watch an episode of Inside Bridge Publications on the Scientology Network.