CPOA: Operation Holiday Giving Brings Smiles to Hundreds of Children

The holiday season is for family members to get together, under one roof and spend time sharing new stories and old memories all the while exchanging gifts, eating home-cooked holiday favorites, and basking in the warmth of Christmas. However, not every family is fortunate to participate in these activities. Every year, countless families are not able to wake up on Christmas morning in their own beds, but instead they have to spend Christmas in the hospital. The Colton Police Officers Association (CPOA) wanted to bring all these families, especially the children, a little Christmas spirit plus some toys and candy too. Operation Giving is now one of their holiday traditions. Dec. 23 was just another Wednesday morning for patients at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC), but little did they know that Santa Claus was making a special delivery. At about 9:30 a.m., Santa Claus, his elves, Colton Police Officers, Colton Mayor Richard Delarosa, and other city leaders kicked off their tour throughout the hospital pushing carts filled with toys and boxes filled with candy canes and lollipops. Throughout the nearly two-hour log tour, they delivered over 200 toys to children, but the amount of smiling children was countless. Colton Officer, Rich Randolph, played an instrumental role in Operation Giving for multiple years as he coordinates the plan for the whole tour throughout the hospital. There were specific areas that they stopped by to deliver toys to, as well as specific patients in certain rooms. However, Sergeant Dominguez told every person involved to not hesitate to give a toy to a child they see. There were plenty gifts for all. Executive Director/President of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center Foundation mentioned to Santa, his elves, and the Colton Police Officers, “The lives that you will affect today will definitely be significant.” Second-timer at the event Mayor Delarosa said, “It’s so good to see, when you walk into these rooms, children’s faces just light up when they see these toys,” he said. As he thanked ARMC and the Colton Police he added, “Another family connection in Colton; I’m very proud of that.” Sergeant Jim Joliff, played Santa Claus for the second time this year. “I’m like a rock star to these kids,” he chuckled. “It’s very cool to watch their faces when they see me; they’re smiles get so big and they’re just so excited.” All of the toys were donated by Rite Aid Stores, Jumbo Savings, and the CPOA. According to Randolph, they almost ran out of toys the previous year and in order to avoid that, Salvation Army brought in a myriad of "back-up” gifts. There wasn’t a toy-less child in that hospital by the end of the day.