Planada middle school students spend afternoon wrapping hundreds of gifts

Board games, crafts and sports gear were some of the gifts being wrapped by Planada middle school students in red, blue and silver snowmen and Santa Claus wrapping paper.

More than 500 donated presents have been prepared to be given away to Planada Elementary students, said Alicia Rodriguez, a substitute teacher at Cesar E. Chavez Middle School in Planada.

Santa Claus, accompanied by middle schoolers dressed as elves, reindeer and snowmen, will hand out the presents to youngsters Thursday. For eighth-grade student Perla Casterjon, the giveaway is her favorite part.

The 13-year-old said she likes to see the children smile when they open their gifts, especially for those who don’t receive them every year.

“I think it’s important to do this so we can inspire other children to do this,” she said.

For more than 10 years, Rodriguez has been working with the community to make sure local children don’t go without gifts during the holiday season. As a child growing up in Merced, Rodriguez said, she felt excited standing in line waiting for a gift from community organizations, and she wanted to bring that feeling to other children.

“They look forward to this day,” Rodriguez said. “I wanted to bring it to the community and I hope to keep doing it as long as we have continued support.”

Helping deliver and wrap presents are efforts that the middle school students count toward their community service fulfillment, Rodriguez said, and others just like to help.

Past and current supporters have been the California Highway Patrol, the United Way, local Planada businesses, community members and elected officials, Rodriguez said.

The CHP has been a supporter since the beginning of Rodriguez’s effort, CHP Public Information Officer Moises Onsurez said as he helped to wrap presents Tuesday afternoon in Cesar E. Chavez Middle School’s cafeteria.

“It’s a priority for us to be a part of the community as much as possible,” Onsurez said. “These toys come directly back to the community and stay in the county so families living here can benefit from the toys.”

Students having the chance to open their presents with friends, seventh-grader Elianna Nava said, is probably the part they enjoy the most. Most feel fortunate, she said, because they are able to have a gift when many others do not.

“I think it’s important because we’re a family here in Planada,” the 12-year-old said. “It’s nice that we have a chance to experience this with others.”

This story was originally published December 14, 2016 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Planada middle school students spend afternoon wrapping hundreds of gifts."