Longtime Oakland Chinatown Christmas toy drive in dire need of help this year

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- A longstanding holiday tradition in Oakland's Chinatown is in dire need of community support as donations severely lag this year.

The Christmas in the Park toy drive, now in its 18th year, was started to honor the late Oakland Police Officer Stan Mock, who organized a community toy drive before his passing in 2007.

His legacy lives on through the dedication of volunteers and local organizations, including the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council, the Lions Club and other groups.

In previous years, the toy drive would have collected 200 to 300 toys by now. But this year, donation bins tell a different story, with only 10 toys collected so far.

Organizer Karen Chung believes inflation may be one reason for the drop in donations. She was gutted when she saw the donation bin this year.

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"It made me feel so heartbroken. I was crying because I didn't know what to do. I didn't want kids to be left out and disappointed," Chung said, choking up as she described her emotions.

She even considered using her own money to make up the shortfall.

"I was willing to use my own money to buy more presents for the kids and eat instant noodles for a month, just so the kids can have something for the holidays," she said.

Donations will be distributed on Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Lincoln Recreation Center. Donations can be made at Lincoln Square Park, located at 250 10th Street in Oakland, Monday through Friday, from noon to 6 p.m. The final deadline to donate is December 5 at 5:30 p.m.

For questions, email Karen Chung at KChung737@gmail.com.