Agoura's Santa says thank you

The following were recipients during the past 29 years of your generosity of gifts, groceries and monetary donations to the Santa Comes to Agoura and Beyond food drive:

Families in Agoura, Oak Park, Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village, Calabasas, Santa Paula, Camarillo and Simi Valley; St. Michael's Elementary School in East Los Angeles; battered women and children in L.A. and Ventura counties; Optimist Club's boys and girls home; Rancho San Antonio Boys Home in Chatsworth; victims of cerebral palsy in Westlake Village; victims of Down syndrome in Thousand Oaks; Manna food bank in T.O.; the Guadalupe Center Food Pantry in Canoga Park; Children of the Night (rescuing children from the streets and providing a safe haven); victims of AIDS. Gifts were also donated to Los Angeles Childrens Hospital; gifts were also provided for U.S. military personnel serving overseas and their families in Camp Pendleton and the Navy Base in Oxnard; My Stuff Bags (helping children nationwide); Veterans Hospital W. Los Angeles; Veterans Hospital; hospices San Fernando Valley; Orphanage for Children with AIDS; City of Hope children's ward; nursing homes in both counties; families of children with leukemia; winter shelters in both counties; New Directions for Youth; a local family with two children with Batten disease; and many more.

I'd like to thank all of the companies, businesses and individuals who once again assisted me in providing for those in need at this holiday time: Jim and Lisa Rule and the staff at the Acorn newspapers; Jess Ruf, Doug Freeland, Dave Boatright and the staff of the Do-it Center; Steve Holt, T.O. Acorn editor, our emcee; Bill and B.J. Parese of Bill's Homes Services; Cindy Rushing; Susie J; James Iwanoff, DC; Philip Black, attorney at law; Christian Church of the Hills; Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints; Oak Park Conejo Valley Community Church; St. Maxmillian Kolbe Catholic Church and Father O'Dwyer; Triunfo YMCA; Caroline Judd; Trader Joe's of Westlake Village (Johann Patterson), Trader Joe's of Camarillo (Tony Rineon), Trader Joe's of Thousand Oaks (Matt Judd), and Trader Joe's of Simi Valley (Greg Heinrichs); David Halpert, OD; Steve Iceland, DDS; Westlake Junior Women's Club; First Federal Bank of California; Jerry and Alan Kirsch; Las Virgenes Municipal District; Pacific Home Rim of Westlake Village; Lost Hills Sheriff's Station (Capt. Tom Martin and Dep. Mike Woodard); Westlake Independent Acura and Honda; the city of Westlake Village; Dr. Richard Rothchild and family; the city of Calabasas; and Beanscene in Oak Park.

Thanks to the following schools, their staff, students and parents: Brookside, Oak Hills, Red Oak, Lupin Hills and Yerba Buena elementary schools; Medea Creek and Lindero Canyon middle schools; Oak Park, Oak View (principal Lou Tabone) and Agoura high schools; Joyce Thomas and the Brookside Chorus; Kaitlin Maxwell for singing the National Anthem; St. Jude's Catholic School; all of the AHS cheerleaders; and to all the troops of Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Brownies and Girl Scouts; Fire Station No. 89 for delivering Santa Claus (aka Gary Wolfe); Frank Adler for donating the chair for Santa; the blessing of the food provided by Megan and Josephine Annino representing the Christian faith and Amanda and Brenden Schwartz representing the Jewish faith; Peggy Sue of the Agoura Hills Women's Club; Los Robles Medical Center (Chris Carraway Bowman); Jorge DeLatorre; Mel Adams and family (Agoura Equipment Rentals); Costco of Westlake Village and San Diego; Western Bagels; Westlake Village Starbucks of Agoura Hills.

And anyone I forgot: Please know your efforts were appreciated; it took many people and businesses to put this together, and I sincerely thank you all.

I would also like to thank everyone who assisted me in the past 29 years in the organizing of Santa Comes to Agoura and Beyond. I have met many wonderful individuals and businesses who were always willing to help and give their time to help others.

I look forward to seeing the Santa Comes to Agoura and Beyond effort continue under the guidance of the Westlake Junior Women's Club. Thank you. Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas! The George Annino family, the Agoura/Las Virgenes Optimist Club, Doug Bordoner, Cameron Johnson, Cindy Rushing and Susie J

An exception to our word count was necessary to run this letter. George Annino of Oak Park stepped down this year after leading the drive for the past 29 years.