Community gives back to Planada families for holidays

Old St. Nick arrived a few days early in Planada to share the joy of the holidays with community members who eagerly waited for his arrival Saturday morning.

Planada’s annual Christmas party gathered about 200 families at Planada Elementary School. The event, led by the Planada Christmas Cherish Memories group and the California Highway Patrol, treated families to a morning of toys, photos with Santa and hot chocolate.

“When I was a child, I used to go get toys at the American Legion Hall, and I wanted to bring something similar here,” said Alicia Rodriguez, event organizer, who started Planada’s Christmas party 11 years ago.

“When we first started, we only had about 25 families,” she added. “It has really grown throughout the years.”

A lot of the growth was due to the involvement of local community groups and members, Rodriguez said. Besides CHP and Planada Elementary School, the event also receives the help of nonprofits, food banks, businesses, Le Grand High School, Merced County elected officials and local families.

Every year, organizers and volunteers wrap 500 to 700 toys and give away about 150 hams.

Planada resident Zenaida Rojas, 38, has been attending the event for the past five years. Getting her six children to wake up early to attend the event was not a problem Saturday, she said, pointing out how excited they were to meet Santa.

“This is really helpful for families like mine,” she said. “Every year we get toys and food, and in the past we’ve also received clothes.”

“The children leave happy, and that’s what it’s all about,” Rojas continued.

Sara Elias, 27, brought her five children to the event. Elias believes the Christmas party is one of the most beneficial events in Planada.

“The majority of the children in this area come from low-income families whose parents work in the fields,” Elias said. “This helps out a lot of families who maybe can’t afford gifts for their children.”

She said many field workers are unemployed during the holidays because of weather conditions.

This year, about 60 volunteers, including high school students and school administrators, made sure the event ran smoothly.

“I think sometimes we get lost in the reason for the season,” Rodriguez said. “People that volunteer leave here feeling good, and I think that feeling is what brings them back every year.”

Moises Onsurez, a CHP spokesman, said the Highway Patrol became involved with the event 10 years ago.

“This is such a worthy cause,” Onsurez said. “Giving back has always been a priority for the CHP, and this is one way to give back to the residents of Planada.”

This story was originally published December 21, 2014 at 4:26 PM with the headline "Community gives back to Planada families for holidays."