By DOUGLAS W. MOTLEY
Senior Writer
California Highway Patrol (CHP) Public Affairs Officer Ubaldo Gonzalez, along with two senior volunteers from the Running Springs CHP Office, stationed themselves inside the front entrance foyer of the Highland Avenue Walmart store from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, collecting toys from customers as they entered and exited the store.
The toys, Gonzalez said, will be taken to various mountain communities where they will ultimately be distributed to families, some of which, possibly due to rising prices, can’t afford to purchase them for their own children.
Gonzales said the toys would be dropped off at the Boys & Girls Club in Crestline, DOVES (Domestic Violence Education & Services) in Big Bear and the Family Outreach Center in Top Town Crestline.
Free CHP coloring books were popular with young children.
When asked what types of toys are most popular with young children, Gonzales said, “Every year, we reach out to families in need by providing age and gender-appropriate toys; dolls and coloring books are always popular with the girls, and boys like Legos and toy cars, trucks, trains and bicycles,” he said, adding that they had already collected about 250 toys from drop-off boxes at the Running Springs CHP Office and Walgreens in Big Bear.
A couple from Los Angles donated a Fisher Price toy as they exited the store.
“Last year, we collected over 700 toys, a lot of them came from Mattel in San Bernardino. We should get close to 700 this year.”
Like any Walmart this time of the year, the store was jammed with shoppers, some of whom dropped off toys and cash donations as they exited the store.
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