Glendale hospital employees deliver hundreds of gifts to Cerritos Elementary School students
Ayleen Palacios, 6, receives a gift at Cerritos Elementary School on Monday, Dec. 14, 2015. The staff of Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center, which is across the street from the school, picked names and bought gifts for each of the 439 students at the school.
Each of the more than 400 students attending Cerritos Elementary School received an early Christmas gift Monday morning from employees who work two blocks away at Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital.
During a morning assembly in the school’s auditorium, educators drew back a curtain revealing wrapped toys and gifts for the 439 students at Cerritos.
The gifts were purchased by doctors, volunteers and employees of the hospital as part of an annual event that culminates with the surprise delivery during a school-wide assembly.
After the sight of the gifts sent students into a frenzy of cheers, Cerritos Principal Perla Chavez-Fritz said the moment will have a lasting impact.
“This is something that they will remember for the rest of their lives,” she said. “I think it’s important for them to know that this is what the holiday is about — the gift of giving.”
Geronimo Antonio, 6, looks at the gifts that Eric Tarebedian, 7, is unwrapping at Cerritos Elementary School on Monday, Dec. 14, 2015.
The hospital’s Mission Council organized the event with help from Cassie McCarty, director of mission integration and spiritual care services.
Back in October, employees, volunteers and others at the hospital selected the names of the Cerritos students to purchase toys for them based on their age and gender.
“They had such joy in doing it,” she said.
The hospital’s surgery department adopted 60 students, and the emergency department signed up to purchase gifts for students in two classrooms. Others at the hospital agreed to buy toys for individual students.
“I think people really see this as a very tangible way to extend kindness into the community,” McCarty said.
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Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com
Twitter: @kellymcorrigan
