Newport Beach helps provide elves and presents for Operation Christmas

Newport Beach is ringing in the holidays by donating thousands of presents to military families across Orange County and the country to thank and show them that they care.

Uniformed officers drove up to Newport Beach City Hall late Thursday morning in decorated military vehicles to collect the donations for distribution.

For the past several weeks the city has been collecting toys, DVDs and sports equipment donated by residents at public facilities such as Newport Beach City Hall, the OASIS Senior Center, the Marina Park Community Sailing Center and at all of its fire stations.

Members of local branches of the military load a truck with hundreds of toys donated by city of Newport Beach toward “Operation Christmas” staged at the Newport Beach City Hall on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

City officials said last year that there were more than 2,000 gifts donated by Newport Beach residents and that similar numbers were expected for this year’s drop-offs, but that there is currently no confirmed number for what was given this holiday season. The donations come in response to “Operation Christmas,” an outreach program organized by the Our Nation’s Heroes Foundation.

Newport Beach has been participating since 2005, but the program itself has existed since 2004 and is currently in its 17th year.

Members of the fire department and military service members stand for a group picture in front of the hundreds of gifts donated from Newport Beach city facilities and drop boxes toward “Operation Christmas” staged at the Newport Beach City Hall on Thursday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

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