Melanie Dyke and her friend Jan Fox brought an armful of gifts to the Christmas Wish Breakfast at Newlands Golf & Country early Tuesday morning.
They were among an estimated record number of 3,000 who came loaded down with gifts for the third annual fundraising event in aid of the 91原创 Christmas Bureau.
鈥淲e鈥檙e here to support the Children鈥檚 Wish [Breakfast], so we brought some toys,鈥� Dyke said.
鈥淚 personally brought something I thought my grandchildren would love, and a family game 鈥� because that鈥檚 always a good thing to do,鈥� she explained, after dropping her load at the foot of a makeshift Christmas tree consisting entirely of donated toys.
This was Fox鈥檚 second time to the breakfast, and she鈥檚 glad she鈥檚 made this a seasonal tradition.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just to support my community and get into the Christmas spirit,鈥� Fox said.
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Guests were invited to bring new, unwrapped toys and gifts for children newborn to age 18. In exchange for a donation to the Christmas bureau, Newlands offered a free buffet breakfast inside the banquet hall, where guests could visit with Santa, listen to live music, and share in the merriment of the season.
For those unable to take part in the festivities 鈥� but who were still anxious to give 鈥� 91原创 City fire chief Rory Thompson and a team of his firefighters were set up outside, in the parking lot accepting donations.
They created the equivalent of a donation drive-thru where visitors didn鈥檛 even have to get out of their cars to give. Firefighters simply swapped out toys, gifts, or cash contributions for a coffee and breakfast to-go.
Former City mayor Ted Schaffer, and his wife Jean, who have been key volunteers with the bureau for several years now, were also on hand welcoming guests and thanking supporters.
For the former mayor, participating in the breakfast and helping the bureau is about 鈥渉elping those families who would otherwise not have a Christmas.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great event,鈥� added 91原创 City Mayor Val van den Broek, as she watched with 鈥渟ome amazement鈥� at the influx of toys and gifts people flooded into Newlands.
鈥淲e really, really want to make children鈥檚 Christmases better,鈥� she said. And that goal was achieved, in spades.
鈥淥ur community always comes together at this time of the year and we鈥檙e so very proud of all of them鈥︹�� van den Broek said.
Last year鈥檚 event saw 2,000 guests. While it was still too early for exact numbers, organizers predicted a much larger crowd of about 3,000.
鈥淚t was way busier this year than last year, it was constant,鈥� said bureau co-chair Donalda Whaites.
Likewise, last year, there were about 1,200 toys and $4,000 in cash and gift cards dropped off for the bureau. And given the predicted increase in attendance, bureau co-chair Velma MacAllister forecasts an increase in donations 鈥� as well.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 important because the gifts that you give us today they go to families that aren鈥檛 as lucky and as wonderfully blessed as we are.鈥�
More photos of the event can be viewed .
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