Four hundred children were dazzled into a frenzy when they walked into their very own winter wonderland – complete with a soap bubble “snow field,” holiday tunes, delicious tacos, toy giveaways and a visit from Santa Claus during the annual Spark of Love toy drive.
The Dec. 13 event was hosted through a partnership between Amazon, Children’s Fund, ABC7, San Bernardino County Fire and the Hope through Housing Foundation. Some 700 National CORE residents attended the event, which was held in the heart of the Arrowhead Grove apartment community in San Bernardino.
Spark of Love was populated with a series of activities that sent kids reeling, but the crowning jewel was the toy room, where children got to pick out a present for themselves. Children were ushered into a community room, which was stacked to the walls with Hot Wheels racetracks, Bluey blankets, Nickelodeon slime, board games, sports equipment and more.
“Spark of Love has been so amazing for me, my granddaughter and the whole community,” said Delaina, a Metro View resident. “It is absolutely fantastic that so many different organizations came together to treat children to a day of toys, Santa and fun. It’s heartwarming and it’s great to see the entire community come together.”
Jose, who lives at Vista Cascade, said he had fun playing with his siblings at Spark of Love’s bubble “snow field” and he loved his present – a high-flying air rocket.
“Today, the partnerships of this event brought holiday magic to families living in Arrowhead Grove,” said David Ambroz, Amazon’s Head of Public Policy and Community Engagement. “It’s magical!”
Brandon De Hoyos, vice president of community engagement at ABC7, said it was a dream to partner with Amazon, Children’s Fund, San Bernardino County Fire and the Hope through Housing Foundation once again for Spark of Love.
“I just love seeing the energy, anticipation, shock and surprise on the faces of so many children when they go into the toy room,” De Hoyos said.