Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square was a happy place for weekend gift, food drive

Like the Grinch, the coronavirus pandemic has menaced Christmas for many by making life difficult for sponsors of traditional toy-and-gift drives and giveaways.

Committed to assuring that children in families who struggle are not passed by this holiday season, several charitable and service organizations teamed up Saturday for a drive-thru gift and food drive at Santa Rosa’s historic Railroad Square.

Donors drove in to the parking lot of the square’s fine, old, stone depot to find volunteers donning their ugliest holiday sweaters and other Yuletide apparel, a festively dressed SMART train, shiny emergency vehicles and classic Corvettes, festive music and a palpable sense of holiday spirit.

The people in the cars stayed inside and warm as volunteers carried from the vehicles donated, unwrapped gifts for children 2 through 17, and nonperishable foods.

Kids in the cars were especially thrilled when volunteers aimed candy-striped tubes at the open windows and let loose candies and other treats.

The three-hour Toy and Food Drive was hosted by the community partners who came together at a time when the pandemic makes it impossible to collect gifts for undeserved youngsters by staging traditional collection events.

Present at Railroad Square on Saturday were caring sorts with the Marine Corps Reserves’ Toys for Tots drive, Sonoma County’s Secret Santa program, the Salvation Army, Santa Rosa firefighters’ Toys for Kids campaign, SMART, the Redwood Empire Food Bank, the Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership, Sutter Health, the Santa Rosa Police Department, radio station KZST, Friedman’s Home Improvement, Team Ghilotti engineering contractor, Fast Signs, Courtyard by Marriott and the Law Enforcement Chaplaincy Service.

The partners on Dec. 19 will distribute gifts to families in need who registered for them.