SHERIFF BACA AND SANTA VISIT CHILDREN’S CENTER
Sheriff Lee Baca, Captain Marilyn Baker, and personnel from East Los Angeles Station, Twin Towers Correctional Facility, and Pitchess Detention Center-North Facility joined Santa Claus for their traditional visit to the Belvedere Early Education Center in East Los Angeles on December 19, 2005. The Sheriff and Santa handed out toys and dolls to more than 120 delighted children.
The youngsters opened the Christmas program by singing “Sheriff Baca is Coming to Town,” followed by other holiday songs.
“Each year I look forward to visiting the Belvedere Early Education Center to interact with these children,” said Sheriff Baca. “It is indeed a joy to see the smiles on their faces as Santa Claus presents them with the handcrafted gifts provided through the efforts of the staff and inmates at our jail facilities. I was thrilled to have the pleasure of reliving the excitement of Christmas through a child’s eyes and experiencing their enthusiasm as they sang and danced for us.”
Given to the girls were some of the 5,000 dolls handcrafted by female inmates at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility. The doll program began over 50 years ago as a work project for women in the Los Angeles County jail and remains a tradition today, thanks to the generous donations of materials by community members and Department personnel. The young boys at the center received handmade wooden toys. These cars, trucks, and helicopters were part of approximately 1,300 toys handcrafted by male inmates incarcerated at the Pitchess Detention Center. The remaining dolls and toys crafted by the inmates are distributed to underprivileged or physically-challenged children throughout Los Angeles County.
SHB-115A-05
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December 19, 2005
Photos available upon request.