OCFA ‘spark of love’ toy drive is underway in Orange County
A toy fire truck with a holiday garland | Photo by Lisa Jackson, Unsplash
Fire stations across Orange County are gathering thousands of donated toys as part of the annual Spark of Love campaign to help families in need.
The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) has launched its annual Spark of Love Toy Drive, calling on residents to help bring holiday cheer to children and teens in need across the county. Now in its 32nd year, the campaign has become one of Orange County’s most recognizable charitable efforts, collecting thousands of toys, sports equipment, and monetary donations each season.
The drive, which runs through Christmas Eve, encourages community members to drop off new, unwrapped toys at any OCFA fire station or participating retailer. While firefighters collect the donations, they do not handle distribution directly. Instead, all items are delivered to a warehouse operated in partnership with radio station KWAVE and local nonprofit partners. There, volunteers sort, organize and distribute the toys to hundreds of charities and organizations supporting families in need.
“We’re lucky to be a part of this event,” said Sean Doran, fire captain and public information officer for OCFA. “We’re not only responding to emergencies – we’re helping families receive the emotional and communal needs that we all need, especially during the holidays.”
The Spark of Love campaign began as a collaboration between ABC7 Los Angeles and fire departments across five Southern California counties. OCFA participates by offering their firehouses as collections sites and organizing community events to gather donations. Last year OCFA’s Spark of Love drive collected more than 34,000 toys county-wide.
Once donations arrive at the KWAVE warehouse, volunteers take on the next phase of the project – sorting toys by age group, categorizing items and preparing shipments for nonprofits across Orange County. These organizations then distribute the gifts directly to families, shelters, schools and community centers. Fire officials say this partnership allows OCFA to focus on community engagement and collection, while nonprofit partners manage the expansive distribution network required to reach thousands of children.
In addition to drop-offs at OCFA stations, the agency is hosting two in-person toy drive events at local Walmart stores, where residents can hand their donations to firefighters, meet local crews and even take photos with Santa Claus.
The events will be held at the San Clemente Walmart on Dec. 6 and the Foothill Ranch Walmart on Dec. 12. These gatherings often draw large crowds and help boost donations for age groups that tend to be underrepresented, such as older children and teens. Doran says they appreciate every donation the community brings in, but notes that gifts for older youth are consistently in short supply. OCFA is encouraging donors to consider items like sports gear, scooters and monetary contributions that can be used to purchase age appropriate gifts for teens who are often overlooked during the holiday season.
Doran added that the toy drive strengthens community connections in ways that go beyond holiday giving. Although firefighters do not distribute the toys themselves, they witness the community’s generosity first hand. “We’re proud of the community most of all,” Doran said. “They are the ones who come out in force to donate the toys and recognize that they’re giving a little bit of themselves so somebody else could have a better holiday.” For more information, visit the OCFA official website.
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