Donors Replace Ruined Toys in Time for Annual Giveaway

A flood of water nearly ruined Christmas at the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic. But now a flood of donations is about to save it.

Early Sunday, a man broke into the clinic in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake district, setting off the sprinkler system. The resulting flood damaged several thousand dollars’ worth of toys collected for a holiday party today for low-income children.

Word quickly spread about the break-in and the water damage to the gifts, which included Harry Potter trading cards, dolls, puzzles, Monopoly games and children’s books.

By Wednesday afternoon, the center at 3324 W. Sunset Blvd. had experienced another type of deluge. This time, calls poured in from friends and strangers, offering toys to replace the hundreds of ruined ones.

“Oh, thank you,” Executive Director Tacy Padua told one caller. “You’ve made me so happy.”

Padua and other staffers said this week’s surge of donations should provide enough toys for the center’s annual Christmas party, scheduled for this afternoon.

And Padua hopes donations will continue so the free clinic can stage its annual Christmas Day celebration and toy giveaway for the area’s homeless families.

The clinic and its mobile units have been a mainstay for the largely Latino working-class families in Silver Lake and Echo Park since 1968. Last year, the clinic recorded about 87,000 visits, many from patients who couldn’t afford health insurance and received free mammograms, diabetes screening, psychiatric services, child immunizations and senior citizens’ care at the clinic.

The facility has been staging annual holiday toy giveaways since 1979. Its supporters aren’t just those who called in this week to make donations.

A rock music benefit featuring Sting, Elton John and Los Jaguares was staged earlier this month to benefit the clinic. The net proceeds are still being calculated.

Padua and other staffers said they were surprised by the break-in because the clinic has not had any recent troubles of that type. “It’s been many, many years since something like this has happened,” she said.

Witnesses told authorities they saw a man run from the building between 6 and 7 a.m. Sunday. Nothing was taken, but investigators said the intruder apparently tripped the building’s sprinkler system.

When Padua opened her office later that morning, a foot of water covered the floor and had soaked the toys, she said.

Since then, people have been coming to the clinic with dolls and video games.

Officials of DirecTV donated Mickey Mouse toys. The Commerce Casino donated a check for $500.

“I’m overwhelmed by the response. I’m overwhelmed,” Padua said.