Boys & Girls Clubs Holds Holiday Event for 700+ Youth

More than 700 young people received gifts and met Santa Claus at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside’s annual Holiday Extravaganza at the Burrage Mansion on Friday, Dec. 18. Children and teenagers from the Club’s 36 Inland Empire locations were bused to the mansion for the event, which was held both inside and outside. Each Club member chose a toy or gift card. “It was awesome because we got presents and saw Santa,” said Andrew Gordon, 6, who chose a “Star Wars” action figure. Six-year-old Ian Modrow, who received a remote-control motorcycle said he had fun “because I like the mansion, and we got to make crafts.” The younger kids heard a story from Santa and Mrs. Claus, made ornaments, watched a magic show, played games and ate snacks. Teens played games in their own area, made graham cracker gingerbread houses and socialized. The Redlands Fire Department, T-Mobile, Starbucks, iHerb, and Kaiser Permanente volunteered at the event and donated hundreds of toys. T-Mobile and Starbucks collected toys from employees and customers at their Inland Empire stores, and the Club was one of the beneficiaries of the Fire Department’s Spark of Love toy drive. “This is just another way to give back to the community, especially kids; there’s a special place in our hearts for kids,” said Firefighter Reggie Brown. “This is where we can put a face to the toy and see the reactions, and where the importance of these programs in the community really hits home.” Firefighters helped the kids pick out toys. IHerb employees held a toy drive for the event for the first time. "Some employees used paid time off or came on their day off to volunteer," according to senior human resources manager Mary Cardenas. “Working on it, then seeing the kids’ faces and excitement, is very rewarding for us,” said Cardenas, who is also a Club board member. Starbucks recruiter Steve Trinity and T-Mobile district manager Robert Lobato Jr. shared a similar sentiment. “To see the looks on those children’s faces throughout the day was priceless,” Trinity said. Lobato, who manages T-Mobile’s Inland Empire South region, said that it “feels great to donate toys and know that they will be received by the children, but it is even better to be there to see the pure joy of them receiving the toys.” There were scores of volunteers who escorted groups of kids around the mansion and grounds and helped kids do activities and supervised games inside and outside. The event was the Club’s largest Holiday Extravaganza to date. The mansion, which is owned by Redlands native and businessman Tim Rochford, was decked out for Christmas. A two-story, decorated tree stood in the main entryway, and the mansion and grounds were festooned with lights and decorative pieces. Rochford and his wife Carol attended the event and spoke with kids. “Our community partners make it possible for us to give our members such a great holiday experience,” said Mark Davis, vice president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside. “We had the most youth ever at the mansion for the Extravaganza, and couldn’t have done it without the support of those businesses, the fire department, and volunteers.”