Monument Toy Drive brings holiday cheer to nearly 500 families
CONCORD, CA—City Councilmembers Dominic Aliano and Edi Birsan helped organize a toy drive for children in The Monument this week.
On Thursday, Dec. 17, cars rolled past El Rancho Restaurant at 1450 Monument Blvd in Concord for some holiday cheer. They were greeted by Santa, volunteers from Visit Concord and The Unity Council, Concord Police officers, as well as Concord’s Mayor Tim McGallian for the festive toy giveaway.
Masked volunteers handed out toys, games and Mexican food to go from El Rancho. Officers from Concord Police Department also helped hand out gifts. A stream of cars flowed through the parking lot for more than an hour during the giveaway.
Aliano said, “These are families that have been directly affected by the COVID Pandemic and we want to do our best to make sure that they have a good Christmas during these difficult times. It simply comes down to neighbors helping neighbors and community taking care of the community.”
Volunteers and donors
A huge thanks to the organizations that donated to this event and the people that made this happen, including:
- Contra Costa County Building and Construction Trades Council
- Sheet Metal Workers Local 104
- Plumber and Steamfitters Local 159
- Teamster Local 315
- Marathon
- Employees at HSBC Bank
The toy drive also partnered with The Unity Council, Monument First 5, and Contra Costa Regional Group First 5. These groups focus on serving children in the community and a toy or game just might lift a child’s spirits as this challenging year comes to a close. “One thing I learned in life is that sometimes the simple things make a huge difference,” Aliano added.
