The holidays came early for thousands of children and their families Saturday at the 43rd annual “Miracle on 1st Street” toy giveaway in Boyle Heights.
Community members, some of whom had camped out overnight, lined up outside the Hollenbeck Youth Center for a chance at one of the thousands of toys given away with a little help from Santa and Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Outside the center, families were treated to a “winter wonderland” along 1st Street that included a train ride, games, jumpers and community resources.
Children enjoy toy train rides, games and more fun activities at 2024 “Miracle on 1st Street” event. Photos by Carol Martinez.
Georgina Leon, 49, parked her lawn chair on N. Cummings Street the night before the giveaway, braving the cold night and chilly morning alone before sending for her children at 6 a.m.
The mother of two who lives in Boyle Heights has been coming to the toy giveaway for the last 10 years and said this year the celebration has been especially helpful.
“I’m thankful with my whole heart because I don’t have a job right now and I come to these events to get toys for my kids for Christmas,” Leon said.
Organizers say bringing joy and holiday spirit to the community has been the event’s mission since the first giveaway decades ago, when Danny Hernandez, executive director of the Hollenbeck Youth Center, started the tradition with a Santa sleigh and a few toys for kids in the community.
Photo by Carol Martinez.
“It’s vital to continue the tradition, to ensure that during the holiday season, the most important thing for every family is celebrating with their loved ones and not thinking about how much it’s going to cost to put food on the table or to provide their child with the best Christmas ever,” said Priscilla Hernandez, Danny Hernandez’s daughter who serves as president of the Hollenbeck Youth Center.
Now in its 43rd year, Miracle on First Street hands out between 8,000 to 10,000 toys each year at an event that has seen generations of families and their kids.
“It’s something that’s been really treasured in the community. Alumni have come back and brought their kids to be a part of it, which is a really neat thing when they were the kid getting the toy and now they are bringing their kids,” said Hernandez.
“We want to make sure that it’s really an experience for not only the child but the family to get them into the spirit of the holiday,” she added.
With big sponsors like Big 5 Sporting Goods and help from local restaurants like Liliana’s Tamales, the toy giveaway collects tons of toys through donation boxes placed in businesses, partnerships and corporations, as well as individual donations.
Over the years, city leaders and celebrities, including former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and actors Tom Arnold and Danny Trejo, have helped hand out toys.
This year’s appearances included newly-elected Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna, actor Tom Arnold as well as the event’s grand marshals David and Charon D’Aiello Sandoval, who for decades have been an integral part of equal access to higher education at Cal State L.A.