CHRISTMAS BUS GEARING UP TO SPREAD CHEER.Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer LANCASTER - Toys and other Christmas presents for youngsters from poor Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley families will be collected in a retired Antelope Valley Transit Authority Antelope Valley Transit Authority is the transit agency serving the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster and their suburbs. Antelope Valley Transit Authority is operated under contract by Veolia Transport, and is affiliated and offers connecting services with Metro and Metrolink. bus traveling from shopping center shopping center, a concentration of retail, service, and entertainment enterprises designed to serve the surrounding region. The modern shopping center differs from its antecedents—bazaars and marketplaces—in that the shops are usually amalgamated into to shopping center. The annual Stuff A Bus toy drive starts the day after Thanksgiving. ``The bus we are using is one that can no longer be used for passenger service. It should have been auctioned off with the other old buses, but we decided to keep it and dedicate it to the Stuff A Bus project,'' said David Mrstik, AVTA AVTA Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity contract compliance manager. The bus is being modified to better suit the collection of thousands of toys - 3,500 last year. Some seats have been removed and replaced with shelves and storage bins. Remaining seats are being covered in Christmas-pattern fabric. Black plastic seating was replaced by a bright holiday red. AVTA staff members are adding lights and other decorations, including the trademark giant Santa hat on top. Donations are distributed to Children's Center of the Antelope Valley, the Valley Oasis Domestic Violence Shelter, Grace Resource Center, Healthy Homes, Penny Lane, Salvation Army Salvation Army, Protestant denomination and international nonsectarian Christian organization for evangelical and philanthropic work. Organization and Beliefs The Salvation Army has established branches in 100 countries throughout the world. , South Antelope Valley Emergency Services emergency services Emergency care '…services …necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of health and, because of the danger to life or health, require the use of the most accessible hospital available and equipped to furnish those services' , Walden Family Services, Boys & Girls Club Girls Club is a 2002 American television series created by David E. Kelley, who was also it's producer and executive producer. Only two out of a total of thirteen episodes created were broadcast on Fox Television in the United States and Global Television in Canada. of the Antelope Valley, Childrens Center of the Antelope Valley and the United Community Action Network for distribution to poor families. Organizers asked that donations be new and unwrapped. ``It takes a long time, and it's physically exhausting, but when we deliver them, boy it feels good,'' said public information officer Pam Holland. Peggy Hager, (661) 267-5741 peggy.grimm-hager(at)dailynews.com WHERE TO GO LANCASTER - Antelope Valley Transit Authority's annual Stuff A Bus campaign will collect toys and other gifts for needy Antelope Valley youngsters over the next three weeks at local shopping centers. The decorated AVTA bus will be at shopping centers from noon to 6 p.m. on these dates: --Nov. 26-27: East Lancaster Wal-Mart, Avenue J and 20th Street East. --Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12: Kmart, 1810 W. Ave. J, Lancaster. --Dec. 2-3: West Palmdale Wal-Mart, 320 W. Ave. P, Palmdale. --Dec. 4, Dec. 11: - KB Toys K•B Toys (previously known as Kay Bee Toys) is a chain of mall-based retail toy stores in the United States. It was founded in 1922 by the Kaufman brothers. It currently operates 605 stores in 44 U.S. states, Puerto Rico as well as Guam. , Valley Central Way and Lancaster Boulevard. --Dec. 9-10: East Palmdale Wal-Mart, 37140 47th St. E. CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: (color) Dennis Willis and Pam Holland of the Antelope Valley Transit Authority put a Santa hat atop a bus that will be collecting toys to give to needy families for the holidays. Gene Blevins/Staff Photographer Box: WHERE TO GO (see text) |
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