Working for donations

First-, second- and third-graders at Harbor View Elementary didn’t just donate toys to the Spark of Love drive at a nearby fire station; instead of a plain-old holiday party, they took a field trip and walked over there together. And they didn’t just get their parents to buy toys; they had to earn the money themselves by doing chores.

“I took out the trash and cleaned the garage,” said third-grader Chase Munger.

It’s a growing tradition at Harbor View, brought on by a family relation: Capt. Jerry Strom at the fire station on Marigold Avenue is Harbor View teacher Patti Clark’s brother-in-law.

“We started doing this as just kind of something good to do,” Clark said. “But it’s something the parents so appreciated instead of having junk [food] in the classroom, that we kept it up.”

This marks Year 5, Clark said.

“The first year we went down, I didn’t want to trouble anybody, so he just met us down there and we dropped off the toys,” she said. “It’s gotten to the point where they’re so happy to have us come, we had our whole lunch here.”

At the station, Strom and the firefighters showed kids from two classes around a fire engine, talked about safety, and told them how important the toys they had given were.

“These toys all go to a big warehouse in El Toro, and then on Christmas they’re given out to kids who might not get too many presents,” he told the assembled classes. “I really am proud of you, working for these kids and giving up your holiday party. I just don’t have the words.”

Children eagerly volunteered what they had done to be able to afford a toy to give.

“I helped my mom out,” said second-grader Sophie Courtney. “She had a party on Saturday and needed me to help get ready.”

Later, Clark said she thought her class got the message.

“Today they wrote their little journal entry of what they did today,” Clark said.

“Almost all the kids, the first thing they said was, ‘It felt good to do this today.’”

MICHAEL ALEXANDER may be reached at (714) 966-4618 or at michael.alexander@latimes.com.