As part of the free annual Christmas dinner feast in Yucca Valley, formerly known as Tender Loving Christmas, but now known as Mara’s Christmas Wish after the death of founder Mara Cantelo last year, toys are given out to the children attending the event. Gathering all the toys to be donated is a community-wide effort. Managing editor Tami Roleff says the Yucca Valley firefighters are stepping up to make sure every child has a toy…
The San Bernardino County fire department puts out collection boxes for people to donate toys, which will be distributed to needy children in the county. But the Yucca Valley firefighters are making sure the toys stay local; all the toys they collect will go to Mara’s Christmas Wish, to be distributed to children on Christmas morning. Collection boxes are at the Z107.7 studio in Joshua Tree, at many Yucca Valley mobile home parks, banks, and at the Yucca Valley Senior Center. In addition, the firefighters will be doing toy drives at Walmart on Saturday, December 1, 8, 15, and 22, from 10 to 4.