Hawthorne City and the Hawthorne Chamber of Commerce teamed up for a holiday toy and food giveaway outside the Betty Andrews Sports Center, distributing roughly 1,000 toys and donated groceries to local families.

The event, which the chamber has held in Hawthorne for more than 20 years, let each child pick three toys and also provided a stuffed animal, a McDonald’s Happy Meal voucher and a $50 Target gift card for teenagers. An organizer told attendees the drive was supported by more than 40 organizations and businesses and aimed to ease holiday strain for families.

"Over 40 different organizations and businesses helped donate food as well as 1,000 toys for this event for kids," the organizer said. The reporter noted organizers framed the effort as neighborhood support: "We are the seed of good neighbors," one speaker said, adding that higher toy prices have made the giveaway more important this year.

Attendees described the event as vital support. One participant recalled, "one of the ladies was just crying saying that she wouldn't have a Christmas without coming here with her children." Another resident, who said she had surgery three weeks earlier and could not provide for her family, said the distribution "put a smile on my kids' and my family's face." The reporter also said the giveaway was especially touching to Council member Faye Johnson, who spoke about growing up in and out of foster care and about having a recent medical procedure that affected her circumstances.

Organizers said they hope the annual event will continue to grow and remain a steady source of holiday assistance for Hawthorne families. For HCTV, Jason Reynoso reported from the Betty Andrews Sports Center.