Did You See This on Christmas Eve? LBFD/LBPD Caravan Delivered "Spark of Love" Donated Toys To Deserving Families

The toy delivery -- begun in the early 1950s by a single LBFD firefighter -- is now a large annual effort involving large numbers of LBFD firefighters, lifeguards and Ambassadors plus LBPD officers, volunteers and their collective families and supporters. In the 1990s, the annual effort began partnering with ABC7 (KABC-TV) as the "Spark of Love" campaign providing Christmas gifts to children who might otherwise go without.

LBUSD teachers identify special need families throughout the year; LB Firefighters (who also see hardships in the areas they serve) recommend families...and during December, donated toys are collected at various city events, local businesses and at LB Fire stations.

Christmas Eve (Sat. Dec. 24) was this year's "Code 3 [lights and sirens] Delivery Day"...and at early morning volunteers from LBFD and LBPD converged on an El Dorado Park storage yard where donated toys were loaded onto a truck, a trailer and into LBPD SWAT unit van.

Among those taking part: LB Fire Chief Alan Patalano, Asst. Fire Chief Mike DuRee, LBFD Capt. Rich Brandt, Deputy Police Chief Robert Luna, East Div. Commander Michael Beckman, West Div. Commander Josef Levy and multiple members of police and fire families and volunteers (kidlets to seniors).

With Santa strapped into a "sleigh" atop a fire unit from station 13, the bizarre looking caravan headed out on a seven-hour delivery route to nine locations spanning the city.

LB Firefighter Will Nash coordinates the annual effort and gave last minute instructions. "Safety first," he said, noting the caravan would traverse busy streets and intersections. It did...and we heard drivers honking horns in support and waving and Santa flew by atop the fire truck.

Photo credit: Diana Lejins

LBReport.com went to the first stop in NLB...where the arriving fire trucks and police units brought neighbors and kids out of their homes...and a family down the street was overwhelmed by Christmas gifts donated by Long Beach residents they didn't know personally.

Photo credit: Diana Lejins

Christmas Carolers sang...

Photo credit: Diana Lejins

...and neighborhood children received gifts (in photo: Deputy Police Chief Robert Luna hands some out) before the Christmas caravan headed out to eight more locations across Long Beach.