Want to donate your time? Great!! LAFD SERTOMA is always seeking community and fire service volunteers to
support their annual Toys For Needy Children campaign.
Volunteers serve as Santa's helpers every holiday season. No costume, membership or special skills are needed -
merely a desire to help. Whether you can give a single afternoon or several weekends, the need has never been
greater to bring joy into the lives of needy children.
Starting in November we will post information on our home page on how you can get involved. If you wish to be
contacted by email when volunteers are needed, click here to join our mailing list.
support their annual Toys For Needy Children campaign.
Volunteers serve as Santa's helpers every holiday season. No costume, membership or special skills are needed -
merely a desire to help. Whether you can give a single afternoon or several weekends, the need has never been
greater to bring joy into the lives of needy children.
Starting in November we will post information on our home page on how you can get involved. If you wish to be
contacted by email when volunteers are needed, click here to join our mailing list.
The United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program began in 1947 after Major Bill Hendricks and a
group of Marine Reservists collected and distributed more than 5,000 toys to area children in that first year. From
1947 through 2005, it had grown into a nationwide effort coordinated by the Marines, with an excess of 350 million
toys distributed by Toys for Tots coordinators to more than 166 million children. These impressive figures do not
include supplemental toys to local campaigns by the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.
In 1976, there were 200 toys left at Fire Station 33. The Marines were contacted in an attempt to pass on the toys.
However, the Marines had already distributed their toys for the year and were dismantling their seasonal Program.
Battalion Chief Rey Rojo of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was contacted for guidance. He attempted to
have the toys delivered to a number of hospitals for children in need, but his gracious efforts found him no luck when
hospitals rejected his initiative. The “red tape” associated with the long list of gratuitous gift measures prevented the
hospital from accepting the toys. Harbor General Hospital was the only hospital that would accept the toys. They were
packed and delivered by Santa Claus in turnouts and all arriving on Task Force 85.
These events sparked numerous thank you letters to the Fire Chief John Gerard, and soon after, Chief Rojo was
asked to develop a pilot program for the LAFD to gather and distribute toys for the holiday season. This was the birth
of “LAFD Holiday Toy Program for Needy Children” to collect and distribute toys during the Christmas holiday
season. The department-wide Program was a success and toys have been collected and distributed since. Fire
Station 3 was the initial large collection point where toys were housed before distribution. After which, the operation
was conducted from old Fire Station 30, followed by Fire Station 23 and old Fire Station 27 before its final move to
the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center where the operations continue to be run today.
In 1980, the LAFD Holiday Toy Program for Needy Children sought an Organization to help serve as its identity. The
Sertoma Organization was approached and has been assisting in a joint role with the LAFD providing toys to 2.5
million children through the last 28 years. Sertoma means, “Service to Mankind,” and with its name, “The LAFD
Sertoma Club” was formed. The members are all volunteers that are comprised of active and retired firefighters,
intercity community people, and college students from fire technology programs of several local colleges. This small
group coordinates with 430 agencies, including schools, churches, families, and the Marines as well as assisting the
Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) with toy pickups. All warehouse operational costs,
water service, meals, pantry supplies, caps, and t-shirts, etc. are donated by Sertoma. This year’s contribution by the
Organization totaled $7,582.
The 2005 holiday season was the most impressive year yet for the 28 Sertoma elves, assisted by 66 Santa helpers,
who racked up 9,600 volunteer hours picking up toys from LAFD fire stations, sorting through them, preparing toy
requests, and distributing them to children in the Los Angeles community. The Program averaged 20-35 warehouse
volunteers each day, seven days a week. Traveling is a big component with a total of 26,655 driving miles logged
over the 30-day period. An average of 3,189 toys per day were picked up, sorted and bagged, tagged, and
distributed seven days a week. Last year, LAFD collected 79,128 toys. An increase of 12,000 toys was collected in
2003. “We’ve broke all kinds of records this year, with 95,680 toys and 4,130 volunteer hours devoted to driving,”
says retired LAFD Deputy Chief and Sertoma Club President Rey Rojo.
The LAFD Sertoma Club also collaborates with the KABC Channel 7, who provides media coverage for its “Spark of
Love Toy Drive,” that helps with toy distribution in five counties. This year, the LAFD was selected as the lead agency
and given $25,000 to purchase toys and assist in dispersing them among the five distributing agencies. Chief Rojo
is very proud of the honor and took on the task. Fire Chief William R. Bamattre is also a strong supporter of the
Organization and its activities and is a Sertoma member himself. Sponsorship has been a major breakthrough for
the Organization and its affiliation with Sertoma has made it all possible. Sertoma helps by allowing its name to be
lent along with providing financial coverage in the form of insurance for Sertoma sponsored activities. Toyota has
been a major sponsor for the last three years as well, and has provided official Toy Drive vehicles for volunteers to
pick up and move toys all around the city. The Toyota Tacoma’s display a festive holiday season magnetic decal on
doors of the vehicles, labeled as official LAFD Sertoma Club/Spark of Love Toy Drive vehicles. This has enabled the
volunteer’s vehicles not to be mistaken for LAFD vehicles and misidentified in the course of their toy runs.
Temporary storage of the toys picked up has been a challenging task. The drill deck of the Frank Hotchkin Memorial
Training Center serves as what the Organization refers to as “Toy Central.” This area is the focal point and serves as
the storage area for toys, the central drop-off point and the location where the toys are packaged and sent. The
offices and managerial logistics occur there as well. Furthermore, businesses and those who want to make
documented charitable donations of either money or toys can do so and get a receipt at the Toy Central site.
Sertoma banners hang at this site along with those that hang at all 102 fire stations in the city notifying residents that
the Toy Drive has begun.
The LAFD Sertoma’s season is not limited to the holiday winter season. It runs year round with over 2,000 toys in the
Toy Central Warehouse for the LAFD to use to assist families that experience any kind of fire or disaster throughout
the year for delivery within 24 hours. Additionally, this spirit extends to those with major medical concerns.
The beneficiaries will never forget the elves, wearing turnouts and helmets, on the big red sleighs. The “LAFD
Holiday Toy Program for Needy Children” is a wonderful expression of the hearts of men and women firefighters who
spend their lives caring for others.
Information taken from "Fire Watch" Volume 3, Issue 4, April 2006
group of Marine Reservists collected and distributed more than 5,000 toys to area children in that first year. From
1947 through 2005, it had grown into a nationwide effort coordinated by the Marines, with an excess of 350 million
toys distributed by Toys for Tots coordinators to more than 166 million children. These impressive figures do not
include supplemental toys to local campaigns by the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.
In 1976, there were 200 toys left at Fire Station 33. The Marines were contacted in an attempt to pass on the toys.
However, the Marines had already distributed their toys for the year and were dismantling their seasonal Program.
Battalion Chief Rey Rojo of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was contacted for guidance. He attempted to
have the toys delivered to a number of hospitals for children in need, but his gracious efforts found him no luck when
hospitals rejected his initiative. The “red tape” associated with the long list of gratuitous gift measures prevented the
hospital from accepting the toys. Harbor General Hospital was the only hospital that would accept the toys. They were
packed and delivered by Santa Claus in turnouts and all arriving on Task Force 85.
These events sparked numerous thank you letters to the Fire Chief John Gerard, and soon after, Chief Rojo was
asked to develop a pilot program for the LAFD to gather and distribute toys for the holiday season. This was the birth
of “LAFD Holiday Toy Program for Needy Children” to collect and distribute toys during the Christmas holiday
season. The department-wide Program was a success and toys have been collected and distributed since. Fire
Station 3 was the initial large collection point where toys were housed before distribution. After which, the operation
was conducted from old Fire Station 30, followed by Fire Station 23 and old Fire Station 27 before its final move to
the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center where the operations continue to be run today.
In 1980, the LAFD Holiday Toy Program for Needy Children sought an Organization to help serve as its identity. The
Sertoma Organization was approached and has been assisting in a joint role with the LAFD providing toys to 2.5
million children through the last 28 years. Sertoma means, “Service to Mankind,” and with its name, “The LAFD
Sertoma Club” was formed. The members are all volunteers that are comprised of active and retired firefighters,
intercity community people, and college students from fire technology programs of several local colleges. This small
group coordinates with 430 agencies, including schools, churches, families, and the Marines as well as assisting the
Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) with toy pickups. All warehouse operational costs,
water service, meals, pantry supplies, caps, and t-shirts, etc. are donated by Sertoma. This year’s contribution by the
Organization totaled $7,582.
The 2005 holiday season was the most impressive year yet for the 28 Sertoma elves, assisted by 66 Santa helpers,
who racked up 9,600 volunteer hours picking up toys from LAFD fire stations, sorting through them, preparing toy
requests, and distributing them to children in the Los Angeles community. The Program averaged 20-35 warehouse
volunteers each day, seven days a week. Traveling is a big component with a total of 26,655 driving miles logged
over the 30-day period. An average of 3,189 toys per day were picked up, sorted and bagged, tagged, and
distributed seven days a week. Last year, LAFD collected 79,128 toys. An increase of 12,000 toys was collected in
2003. “We’ve broke all kinds of records this year, with 95,680 toys and 4,130 volunteer hours devoted to driving,”
says retired LAFD Deputy Chief and Sertoma Club President Rey Rojo.
The LAFD Sertoma Club also collaborates with the KABC Channel 7, who provides media coverage for its “Spark of
Love Toy Drive,” that helps with toy distribution in five counties. This year, the LAFD was selected as the lead agency
and given $25,000 to purchase toys and assist in dispersing them among the five distributing agencies. Chief Rojo
is very proud of the honor and took on the task. Fire Chief William R. Bamattre is also a strong supporter of the
Organization and its activities and is a Sertoma member himself. Sponsorship has been a major breakthrough for
the Organization and its affiliation with Sertoma has made it all possible. Sertoma helps by allowing its name to be
lent along with providing financial coverage in the form of insurance for Sertoma sponsored activities. Toyota has
been a major sponsor for the last three years as well, and has provided official Toy Drive vehicles for volunteers to
pick up and move toys all around the city. The Toyota Tacoma’s display a festive holiday season magnetic decal on
doors of the vehicles, labeled as official LAFD Sertoma Club/Spark of Love Toy Drive vehicles. This has enabled the
volunteer’s vehicles not to be mistaken for LAFD vehicles and misidentified in the course of their toy runs.
Temporary storage of the toys picked up has been a challenging task. The drill deck of the Frank Hotchkin Memorial
Training Center serves as what the Organization refers to as “Toy Central.” This area is the focal point and serves as
the storage area for toys, the central drop-off point and the location where the toys are packaged and sent. The
offices and managerial logistics occur there as well. Furthermore, businesses and those who want to make
documented charitable donations of either money or toys can do so and get a receipt at the Toy Central site.
Sertoma banners hang at this site along with those that hang at all 102 fire stations in the city notifying residents that
the Toy Drive has begun.
The LAFD Sertoma’s season is not limited to the holiday winter season. It runs year round with over 2,000 toys in the
Toy Central Warehouse for the LAFD to use to assist families that experience any kind of fire or disaster throughout
the year for delivery within 24 hours. Additionally, this spirit extends to those with major medical concerns.
The beneficiaries will never forget the elves, wearing turnouts and helmets, on the big red sleighs. The “LAFD
Holiday Toy Program for Needy Children” is a wonderful expression of the hearts of men and women firefighters who
spend their lives caring for others.
Information taken from "Fire Watch" Volume 3, Issue 4, April 2006
| History of the LAFD Spark of Love Toy Drive |
Through your generosity, Spark of Love provides a new unwrapped toy or sporting good to a child who would
otherwise go without a gift this holiday season. Spark of Love works in concert - not in competition - with other
charitable programs to fulfill the dreams of needy Southern California children.
Recipients are identified in advance by established community and child service organizations. Families
experiencing a sudden catastrophic loss are aided by Spark of Love. When possible, the local Fire Station crew
(occasionally accompanied by Santa Claus) makes a discreet and dignified special delivery to these deserving
children.
Within the City of Los Angeles, the LAFD provides logistical
support for the program, while SERTOMA offers the mechanism
necessary to receive tax deductible contributions, make
corporate solicitations, and coordinate volunteers.
Our program's success relies solely upon the goodwill of people
like you. Your donation of a new unwrapped toy or sporting good
will be gratefully accepted at any Fire Station in Southern
California prior to Christmas Day. Those living in Los Angeles
can click here to find their Neighborhood Fire Station.
otherwise go without a gift this holiday season. Spark of Love works in concert - not in competition - with other
charitable programs to fulfill the dreams of needy Southern California children.
Recipients are identified in advance by established community and child service organizations. Families
experiencing a sudden catastrophic loss are aided by Spark of Love. When possible, the local Fire Station crew
(occasionally accompanied by Santa Claus) makes a discreet and dignified special delivery to these deserving
children.
Within the City of Los Angeles, the LAFD provides logistical
support for the program, while SERTOMA offers the mechanism
necessary to receive tax deductible contributions, make
corporate solicitations, and coordinate volunteers.
Our program's success relies solely upon the goodwill of people
like you. Your donation of a new unwrapped toy or sporting good
will be gratefully accepted at any Fire Station in Southern
California prior to Christmas Day. Those living in Los Angeles
can click here to find their Neighborhood Fire Station.
| Spark of Love Toy Drive |
Don't just wait for the holidays, you can donate toys all year long at any Los Angeles Fire Station!!
| How can I help? |
LAFD Sertoma
| Established in 1980 - GEN #5904 |
| This site is hosted and maintained by the members of the LAFD Sertoma Club. Please contact the web host at info@lafdsertoma.org with questions or comments. Established March 1980 * Federal Tax ID GEN 5904 |
