A giant teddy bear, a tiny trike and a mound of other toys waited Friday afternoon to be stuffed into a bus.
And the donations kept rolling in all day as community members stopped by the Honda Center with unwrapped gifts in hand that will ultimately be distributed to children around the region in need of some holiday cheer.
The annual Stuff-a-Bus event is organized by ABC7 and local firefighters to benefit their Spark of Love Toy Drive. The Orange County Transportation Authority provides the buses.
This year, which marked a return to the Honda Center after a brief relocation, five buses were stuffed with toys, sporting equipment, bikes and more. Last year 10 were needed.
“While that’s fewer stuffed buses than in some prior years, it was still truly heartwarming to see the donations come in all day long, with Barbie dolls sitting next to dinosaurs on our OC Bus seats,” OCTA spokesman Eric Carpenter said following the end of the dawn-till-dusk drive. “The holiday spirit is strong in Orange County and we appreciate all the donations. They are sure to bring many smiles this season.”
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