Heartwarming Event With Long Beach Homegrown Roots: LB Firefighters w/ Police and Multiple Volunteers Deliver "Spark of Love" Donated Christmas Gifts To LB Families Who've Had Especially Tough Year

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Heartwarming Event With Homegrown Long Beach Roots: LB Firefighters w/ Police and Multiple Volunteers Deliver "Spark of Love" Donated Christmas Gifts To LB Families Who've Had Especially Tough Year

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(Dec. 20, 2014, 9:45 p.m.) -- Volunteers including Long Beach Firefighters, Lifeguards, Honoraries, Ambassadors, Explorers and retirees plus Police officers plus their Explorers and support groups plus spouses plus kidlets plus others -- assembled at an El Dorado Park storehouse on Saturday morning (Dec. 20.) Their mission: to load donated Christmas gifts onto fire trucks, a city bus and other vehicles, then proceed caravan style to deliver them in surprise visits to nine deserving families.

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The families, recommended by LBUSD and by firefighters, had experienced especially hard times this past year.

One of the Fire Engines carried a "sleigh" with Santa Claus aboard. (The LB firefighter in the Santa suit wouldn't let us use his real name, insisting he IS Santa Claus.)

It's part of what's now the ABC7 Spark of Love drive, but the Long Beach portion of the event has a 60+ year history that stems from the homegrown heartfelt efforts of Long Beach firefighters.

As explained on the LB SparkofLove.org website:

In the early 1950's, [Long Beach] firefighter Murray Cohn, started collecting toys for needy kids in the area surrounding his fire station. This labor of love and generosity took root and grew to other surrounding stations, thus helping the cause and providing for even more kids. Upon Cohn's retirement, Captain Jim Salisbury took over. Then Captain Bob Caldon took on the duty of "Head Elf" for over 20 years. The Toy Program has carried on the traditions from long ago, and continues to help hundreds of needy families each year.
In 1992, a cooperative decision was made to develop a regional toy drive. Known as the "Spark of Love," local area fire departments have teamed with ABC Channel 7 for financial backing, supplies, and media coverage.

Toys are now collected at various businesses and events thanks to the generosity of Long Beach residents and businesses. And Saturday Dec. 20 is delivery day. That means loading the gifts onto delivery vehicles and decorating the units before heading out.

The fire trucks and police units arrive as a complete surprise to the nine families. This year their "Code 3" sirens were turned on for the last few blocks before arrival. The response is almost always the same: kids at the chosen location burst wide-eyed out of the house; then come the adults...and they're speechless. Of course their neighbors and their kids come outside too...and volunteers riding along come up equipped with smaller tossable treats for them too.

LB Firefighter Will Nash coordinates the event. LB Police Chief Robert Luna and LB Fire Chief Mike DuRee have been present every year we've covered the event...and years ago they told us the same thing: they and their familymembers genuinely look forward to taking part in the event...and it shows.