Locals, including children give from the heart at Christmas

FALLBROOK - Children aboard Camp Pendleton were thrilled to receive gifts donated by local families through the Toys for Tots campaign.

In one instance, an eight-year-old Fallbrook girl told her parents that she wanted to take a bicycle she had been given for Christmas to donate to the Toys for Tots collection at North County Fire Protection District headquarters.

When Andrew Genninger, the wounded warrior’s liaison from VFW Post 1924 collected the toys, he suggested the bicycle be part of the delivery of toys to the Wounded Warriors Barracks on the Base for the children’s Christmas party on Dec. 13 at the Hope and Care center.

“North County Fire office personnel enthusiastically agreed and loaded up my car with dozens of toys,” said Genninger. “Fire Protection Specialist Greg Holdridge manipulated the bicycle treasure amongst the toys squeezed into my car.”

“A call to the Ivy Street fire station (Station 1) followed, where Captain Danny Delgado added toys to the carload,” said Genninger.

Genninger delivered the toys to Melinda Willett, a retired Marine and the Wounded Warrior Battalion’s Family Readiness Officer, Genninger was told that the bicycle would be amongst the “raffle” prizes, for the wounded Warrior’s children after Santa Claus gave each child a few of the Toys for Tots Christmas gifts