Toys

The Assistance League Glendale celebrated its 37th annual Festival of Trees. On Sunday the Glendale Hilton was all aglow with the league's theme, “By the Candle's Glow.” More electric light than candlelight, the city's fire laws were met. Some 400 women and a smattering of men basked under the glow of the Hilton's largest ballroom, decorated with 20 Christmas trees. League President Alma Tycer welcomed members and their guests. Event Chair Sally Benson was a one-woman show. She had just spent the last two weeks in league headquarters decorating the trees.

The Glendale Fire Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department collected thousands of toys during the Spark of Love Toy Drive to help out needy families during the holidays. "It went really well. We collected and distributed over 5,000 toys to the needy charities as well as the needy families," said Glendale Fire Department Public Information Officer Bill Lynch, of Station 21. The toy drive started Nov. 19 and ran through Christmas Eve. The drive itself has been an ongoing charity for the past 13 years.

Amber Willard GLENDALE -- As the holiday season rolls around, police are not only searching for criminals, they're looking for toys. Glendale Police need gifts to give children at holiday parties it has planned, as well as gifts for officers to hand out throughout the year. "We're having three parties for disabled and needy children," police spokesman Sgt. Rick Young said. New, unwrapped toys for children 12 and under can be dropped off at the police department front desk at 140 N. Isabel St. through Dec. 25. Officers also keep toys in the trunks of their patrol cars on Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 to hand out to needy children they come across, Young said.

Alex Coolman GLENDALE -- The Automobile Club of Southern California will hold a toy drive through the end of the year to collect toys for children with illnesses. The Glendale offices of the Auto Club, at 1233 E. Broadway, will be the drop-off point for toys to be delivered to patients of Orthopaedic Hospital of Los Angeles and the hospital's San Fernando Valley clinic. Barbary Murray, director of volunteer services at Orthopaedic Hospital, said the toys collected in the drive are often used as rewards for children undergoing physical therapy.

Karen S. Kim SOUTHWEST GLENDALE -- Being a "Toys 'R' Us kid" in Glendale or Burbank could become more difficult by year's end, as officials announced the toy store giant would close 37 of its Kids 'R' Us stores and 27 of its Toys 'R' Us stores in the coming months. Paramus, N.J.-based Toys 'R' Us, Inc. will also eliminate 1,900 store and corporate positions as part of the plan, officials said. Toys 'R' Us owns 1,609 stores worldwide, including one in Glendale, 2905 Los Feliz Blvd.

Joyce Rudolph GRANDVIEW -- Members of the Roaders Car Club will be collecting toys Saturday for the Toys for Tots Cruise-In from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at Bob's Big Boy, 1407 W. Glenoaks Blvd. Throughout the evening, members will be displaying their classic cars. There will be a live disc jockey and trophies giving to the best vehicles in various categories. The group will be taking a road trip to Lake Piru for lunch beginning at 10 a.m. also on Saturday.

Amber Willard GLENDALE -- Collection bins at the city's nine fire stations have several toys for local youngsters, but not nearly as many for older children. "We always have tons for younger kids," Engineer Bob Launius said Wednesday of the toys that have been donated by residents and will be handed over to local charities for holiday distribution to needy children. "What we really need are things for the 12- to 16-year-old range." Launius, who organizes the Glendale Fire Department's participation in the regional program, suggests giving sporting equipment like basketballs for older boys and bath or beauty products for teen girls.

Firefighters will be stationed at the Alex Theatre prior to the Glendale Symphony Orchestra's "Christmas Celebration" concert at 8 p.m. Friday to collect toys for the "Spark of Love" Toy Drive. Each theater patron arriving with an unwrapped toy will receive a free membership to Friends of the Glendale Symphony (a $25 value) and a complimentary portrait sitting (a $65 value) donated by Richard Williams Photography Studio, said Diane Hedrick, executive director.

New Horizons Family Center is hosting its 10th annual toy give-away from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Youth Recreation Center, 744 S. Glendale Ave. The event is open to all needy families in Glendale and neighboring communities and includes music, refreshments, activities, a visit with Santa Claus for children and toys for children. The organization is also accepting toys. The giveaway is on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last.

Rosette Gonzales When Samantha Daniels needed to start a community project to earn her bronze award for the Girl Scouts, the choice was simple: collect toys to lift patients' spirits at Childrens Hospital, Los Angeles. "It just clicked," Samantha said. "I visit there all the time, and they really help me, so why not help them back?" Samantha, 11, has been a patient at Childrens Hospital since she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes a year and a half ago. She and fellow Girl Scout Anna Suarez of troop 370 teamed up for the project, which encourages leadership and planning skills to positively affect the community.