SHERIFF BACA AND SANTA VISIT CHILDREN'S CENTER
Sheriff Lee Baca and deputies from both 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 10, 2002. The Sheriff and Santa handed out toys and dolls to more than 110 delighted children.
The youngsters opened the Christmas program by singing "Jingle Bells," followed by other holiday songs, including their welcoming rendition of "Sheriff Baca is Coming to Town," "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," "Jolly Ol' St. Nicholas," "Mele-Kalikimaka," and dance performances including "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and "Frosty The Snowman." The program concluded with "Feliz Navidad."
"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 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, helicopters, airplanes, and animal pull toys were part of approximately 700 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-95A-02
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December 11, 2002
Photos available upon request.