Redlands Hosts 18th Annual Christmas Block Party

The holiday season was in full swing this past weekend at the Redlands 18th Annual Christmas Block Party, held Saturday Dec. 12 at the Redlands Community Center. The event began at 10 a.m. with many families lining up earlier to get a photo and gift from Santa Claus himself. Residents of the community enjoyed other activities at the block party such as crafts, carnival games, a bounce house, a bungee jump trampoline, train rides, and therapy dogs. Attendees were given raffle tickets to win new bikes and Target gift cards later in the event. Families in attendance were able to take a new pair of shoes home, courtesy of the Redlands Unified School district. The event was free and open to all Redlands residents. The block party was in its 18th year and has been brought together by members of the of the Redlands Police Department and Quality of Life Recreation division along with countless donations from community organizations, residents, and local businesses. According to David Jaffe, Sr. Program Coordinator for the City of Redlands, who has been coordinating the event since its inception, the event serves as a way to give back to residents. “It is a wonderful opportunity for the city to be able to give back to its residents and provide positive experiences for the kids and families to enjoy. The other big piece of it is that it allows the community to interact with police officers. It allows the residents to get to know them on a one to one basis and get comfortable with them, which is a wonderful thing, not only for the officers, but for the community,” Jaffe said. The event is brought together with the cumulative efforts of 60-80 volunteers over an approximate 10-months time frame. Each year, the event serves between 2,000 and 4,000 Redlands families throughout the day and is funded through donations collected throughout the year. “For a number of these families, this might be their only opportunity for their kids to visit with Santa. A simple visit like that a lot of us take for granted,” Jaffe said. Resident Alejandra Morley attended the event with her grandchildren and shared, "I have no words. This is beautiful and fantastic. It is so sweet of the city to do this for all the children." While waiting for Santa, residents enjoyed performances by locals with the Redlands Community Music Association and holiday tunes sung by students from the Redlands High School Chamber Singers who sang holiday classics like "Deck the Halls" and "Silent Night." According to Redlands High School vocal instructor, Jesse Diaz, this was the first time the chamber singers had sung in the event. “It was our first time here and we were more than happy to come out to spread holiday cheer. I also think it is important for the students to learn outreach to the community too,” Diaz said. Free books were also available to local youth, through the Read for Life Program, a project of the Redlands Sunrise Rotary. The club's past President Chris Martin said, “This kind of event brings a lot of folks together. Kids who don’t have the opportunity to get a lot for Christmas can get something and food. It’s just fun for Christmas.” Children were also able to take photographs with Iron Man and Wonder Women, along with Star Wars characters and Disney’s Aladdin and Jasmine. Kathryn Hegazy, who has cosplayed as Jasmine for 3 years at the event, shared, “For me, I know it makes children very happy and it feels really good to make them smile.” Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Redlands-Riverside employee, Francesca Skardski, who works out of the Moreno Valley office, provided free face paintings to children during the event. “Especially with all the gloom [in San Bernardino] recently, it’s just nice to see the community come together and see all the cheer,” Skardski said. Jaffe shared a similar sentiment, “I think it really shows the reliance of the folks in Redlands to be able to come together in this positive program.”