Every holiday season for the past 20 years, volunteers have gathered at Clark Stadium in Hermosa Beach, or the Joselyn Center in Manhattan Beach to wrap upwards of 5,000 toys. The toys are collected from bins, filled by beach city residents and businesses, at the Hermosa and Manhattan fire departments.
The Hermosa Chamber donates toys it collects as admission to its annual holiday mixer. Hermosa Cyclery has donated two dozen bicycles a year for the past five years in memory of their founder Harold “Schu” Schumaker.
This year’s wrapping part will be held Saturday at the Joselyn Center, next to the Manhattan Beach Civic Center, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“The wrapping parties alternates between the two cities,” said Sam Edgerton, who founded the toy drive in 1992, the year he was elected to the Hermosa city council. Today, the toy drive is believed to be the largest in Los Angeles County.
Joining Edgerton at the wrapping party will be co-founders JR Rivtszky and Vicki Garcia. Rivitzsky was a fellow council member and Garcia a school board member in 2002. Current councilman Pete Tucker was another early member of the toy drive committee.
“I handle the money, Pete handles the toy collections and JR handles the toy distribution,” Edgerton said.
Manhattan Councilwoman Connie Siebert was the first Manhattan Beach committee member. When she retired Manhattan councilman Richard Montgomery stepped up to take her place.
At the wrapping party an award is presented to the volunteer wearing the oldest Beach City Toy Drive T-shirt. Last year it was won by Peg Barr, who wore a shirt from 1994, Edgerton said.
Hermosa Valley teacher Tammy Heath has been bringing her students to the wrapping parties since 2006.
“Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Heath and her students donated care packages to the hurricane’s victims. The next year they were looking for another charity and picked us,” Edgerton said.
The wrapping party is good for the body as well as the soul, Edgerton pointed out.
“Ron Newman of Baja Sharkeez enlists the local restaurants to cater the party,” Edgerton said.
The wrapped toys are distributed to UCLA Harbor Medical Center, the Richstone Family Center in Hawthorne, the 1736 House in Hermosa Beach and the Good Shephard Women’s Shelter.
This year’s toy drive is being dedicated to longtime committee member Jean Lombardo, who recently passed away.
For more information about the toy drive, visit Beach Cities Toy Drive on Facebook. ER
