UCI Health Family Health Center hosts annual toy giveaway
From tots to teens, thousands of kids receive toys
December 04, 2015
UCI Health Family Health Center in Santa Ana is the place to be on Friday, Dec. 18 for the annual Nancy Hurtado Miracle Toy Giveaway. Santa himself will kick off the festivities with a holiday greeting at 10 a.m. and then, assisted by his helpers as well as health center board members, volunteers and staff, will hand out toys until 4 p.m.
“This is our 21st giveaway, in honor of our former director, Nancy Hurtado, who passed away in 2009,” said Ivan Coziahr, executive director of the health center. “The number of people this event touches, and how much it means to them is incredible. We will be giving toys to more than 4,000 kids. For most of them, this will be the only toy they’ll get for Christmas. We get such great satisfaction from seeing the looks of joy on their faces.”
Behind the scenes, local businesses, UC Irvine Medical Center and other organizations are collecting new, unwrapped toys for boys and girls of all ages. Individuals and families who wish to donate may bring toys to the UCI Health Family Health Center, 800 N. Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701 anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Thursday, Dec. 17.
“We give out toys to kids of all ages, from tots to teens,” Coziahr said. “It doesn’t matter how old the kids are, their faces light up when they receive their gift.”
UCI Health comprises the clinical, medical education and research enterprises of the University of California, Irvine. Patients can access UCI Health at physician offices throughout Orange County and at its main campus, UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange, Calif., a 411-bed acute care hospital that provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, behavioral health and rehabilitation. U.S. News & World Report has listed it among America’s Best Hospitals for 15 consecutive years. UC Irvine Medical Center features Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program, Level I trauma center and Level II pediatric trauma center, and is the primary teaching hospital for UC Irvine School of Medicine. UCI Health serves a region of more than 3 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About the University of California, Irvine: Currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.
