Hundreds of children accompanied by their parents received their Christmas presents on Friday, December 23rd, during the annual toy drive held by the Living Word Church (LWC). The anticipated event occurred at the Angel Nuñez Auditorium, where every child walked out smiling with their new toys and treated to snacks and refreshments.
The event happens yearly, thanks to generous donations from many sponsors through Caye Bank. For the toy drive this year, Caye Bank’s Chairman and former Ambassador Joel Nagel handed over the gift of $100,000 to LWC Pasto Ian Zaldivar. According to Pastor Zaldivar, they donated 150 hefty food baskets and 500 small toys during the Christmas Caroling on December 22nd, and 1,200 quality toys for the toy outreach (drive) on December 23rd.
The program started after 7PM as hundreds of parents with their children gathered at the auditorium for a moving prayer service. The service’s highlights included religious performances on stage, and afterward, the green light was given to start the distribution of presents. In small groups, children and parents were led to the court in the auditorium, where volunteers handed out the toys.
Zaldivar thanked the generous donors whose funds are not only used towards purchasing the toys but also to producing the event, paying for security, and renting the venue, chairs, sound system, stage, and other expenses. The Living Word Church is also known for raising funds to assist less fortunate families on the island community throughout the year. The church also helps students with school materials, families with food baskets and is always involved in other activities benefiting island children.