Not enough toys for O.C. tots
The major organization gathering Christmas gifts for needy children in Orange County has run out of toys following a drop in donations of more than 60%, officials said Tuesday.
The Orange County Toy Collaborative -- comprising Toys for Tots, Spark of Love and Operation Santa Claus -- has only 115,000 gifts to fill requests for 356,000.
“We don’t know what happened this year,” spokeswoman Dee Azevedo said.
“We’re having to cut back on orders, so there will be some kids that will go without. I’m getting calls from agencies wanting to know where their toys are.”
Ed Fleming, a battalion chief for the Orange County Fire Authority, which collects toys for the collaborative, expressed surprise.
“This is the first year that there’s been a significant scarcity of toys,” he said.
“We’re not sure what’s causing the shortage.”
The collaborative fell short last year too, but only 10% of the 300,000 requests were not filled, officials said.
But they said there was still time to give: Donations can be dropped off at any fire station until Christmas Eve.
Officials are asking for toys for babies and toddlers up to 2 years old.
For children ages 9 to 12, they’re seeking items such as hand-held electronic games, CD players, board games, dolls, lip gloss, bath gels, skateboards and baseball bats.
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