Car Show to Help Promote Santa Paws Toy Drive

From the Riverside County Department of Animal Services: A car show and entertainment is part of a Santa Paws Toy Drive at the Western Riverside County/City Animal Shelter on Saturday (Dec. 10). The toy drive is in conjunction with the Jurupa Valley Adopt a Family program.

Shelter employees, with the help of two local car clubs, will raise money and collect toys to benefit the nonprofit organization that is celebrating more than two decades helping community residents in need.

The car show and toy drive runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the shelter, located in Jurupa Valley at 6851 Van Buren Blvd. The shelter hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and all pet adoptions have been lowered to $20 to honor visitors donating toys. However, it should be noted that the $20 adoption fee is offered to any visitor that day, regardless of toy donations.

Those wishing to donate a toy are asked to bring the item unwrapped. Visitors are also encouraged to donate a new toy for the shelter’s homeless pets.

Members of the Simple Riders Car Club and the We Ride Family Car Club will be showing off their classy, low-rider cars and trucks. Some of the vintage automobiles are from the 1940s and 1950s and others are more modern, tricked-out rides that feature hydraulics and other high-tech, eye-catching wizardry.

The Jurupa Valley Adopt a Family organization dates to 1993 when it was a humble partnership between community members and local firefighters. It has grown into a larger scale nonprofit that now helps out hundreds of needy families with toys for children, food and clothing. The organization has also branched out to assist Jurupa Valley-based high school seniors heading to four-year universities and colleges with scholarship funds.

To learn more about Jurupa Valley Adopt a Family, click on this link.

One of the organization’s annual traditions at this time of year is the Santa Express, which includes various floats that visit community streets, raising awareness about the group and passing out candy canes. Riverside County Animal Services is part of the touring floats. A volunteer helped provide the main attraction of the Animal Services’ float. It features a dog going down a chimney. But viewers can only see the dog’s hind quarters squeezing down the chimney top, providing the float its whimsical charm.

6851 Van Buren Blvd, Jurupa Valley, CA 92509 (951) 358-7387; FAX (951) 358-7300; TDD (951) 358-5124

Images courtesy of the Riverside County Department of Animal Services: Jurupa Valley Adopt a Family program’s Santa Express. The 'float' includes a whimsical dog-in-chimney feature.