Toys donated by Madera car club
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Marcos Torrez unloads toys at the Madera Rescue Mission on Tuesday. The toys were collected during the annual Cali-Livin’ & Rezmade car and bike club’s toy drive.
The Madera Rescue Mission will have extra toys to give out for Christmas thanks a low-rider club’s contributions to its cause.
The toys, which where collected by the Madera-based car club Cali Livin’, arrived with a trailer at the mission around noon Tuesday. Cali Livin’, which has made their giving of toys into an annual tradition, acquired their donation through a toy drive, which they held last Sunday at Town and Country Park.
“This our third year of doing this,” said Cali Livin’ president Craig Voiles. “And we’re already planning for our next year.”
Cali Livin’, which specializes in working on and building low-riders, also mentors youths, and teaches them how to work on cars and motorcycles.
“It’s the community reaching out, and helping us,” said Madera Rescue Mission’s Jenell Smith of the donation. “And it’s a collaborative effort.”
According to her, and to assistant executive director Lynda Belmontez, this year’s contribution of toys from the club is possibly their biggest yet.
“It’s pretty close to the biggest one. Last year, they did, I want to say, roughly around the same,” said Belmontez. “But it’s grown each year.”
The toys will be handed out for the Rescue Mission’s annual toy give-away, which will take place on Dec. 17. Here, families will be given a sermon and a free meal.
“(During) the toy drive, we have anywhere between 1,000 and 1,500 kids come through,” Smith said.
According to Belmontez, each child up to the age of 12 will receive a toy by the end of the day.
