There is no greater joy on the face of a child than celebrating Christmas by receiving a gift.
That was precisely what happened with hundreds of them, who, accompanied by their families, were entertained by elements of the North Hollywood area of the Los Angeles Police Department.
For the first time in history, families gathered at the Whitsett Park Sports Complex, which, a decade ago was a nest of thugs, drug addicts and gang members of the criminal group MS – 13.
“I have lived for more than 30 years in this area and before there was a lot of danger, “said Adriana Díaz, a mother from Buenavista, Michoacán , who attended the “Winter Wonderland” party with his daughters Perla and Jackeline, as well as his grandson Hayden.
“My mother would not let us go out on the street because there were many cholos ”He recalled. “And then, I also had to protect my daughters so that they did not catch the addiction of drugs.”
However, the tenacious struggle of Sergeant Alfonso Menchaca and the support of Councilor Paul Krekorian ( District 2 of Los Angeles) changed the perspective of the area in a radical way and recovered the park for the community.
“All children and their families deserve to have the same joy as those who have more in society ”, declared Sergeant Menchaca. “When I came to this station 5 years ago we had only eight or ten children in our cadet programs; today we have rescued almost 100 ”.
In addition to the help of community leaders, police and Los Angeles city government resources, “people should know that their park is and they should enjoy it,” said Council Member Paul Krekorian.
“Since I was elected, my priority was to recover this park for the community,” said Krekorian councilor to Real America News. “It was full of gangs, dust and gravel, but we started to build soccer fields for the children and we put up big spotlights.”
“What is snow?”
The celebration in the park was special because for the first time in their lives, some little ones from the area around Whitsett Park got to know snow. And there was a special reason for this, not only because it is December.
On a certain occasion, Sergeant Menchaca spoke of the snow that fell in the mountains to children from one of the successful youth programs that they put on march at the LAPD, in North Hollywood.
But one of the little ones asked him What is snow?
The boy had never had the opportunity for his parents to take him to a snowy mountain.
This motivated the agent so that, in the process of organizing the “Wonderful Winter”, he would not miss a slide and white snowflakes.
“I really liked slipping in the snow! 10 years.
The boy, who is part of the LAPD junior cadet program, was accompanied by his mother, Leticia, an immigrant from San Marcos, Guatemala.
“My son is going very good and I will always be supporting him in his studies, “he said. her. “The police are teaching him to be a very disciplined child.”
Enjoying a bright sun and serving hundreds of diners, Cindy Molina , from Ahuachapán, El Salvador; his compatriot Sofía Bonito from the Department of La Libertad and the Mexican Ana Dueñas, from Guadalajara, Jalisco, could not cope with the sale of pupusas, buñuelos, Mexican bread, chocolate, champurrado and punch.
“Our children are part of the cadet program and we also have to be supportive as parents,” said Mrs. Molina.
“The leadership programs are teaching our children to be independent, respectful and disciplined “, added Mrs. Sofía.
For her part, Mrs. Ana said:” For my son Sergio to be part of the program they must have good grades in school and always show good behavior, ”he indicated.
Throughout the Whitsett Fields Park / Valley Plaza Recreation Center, located at the intersection of Whitsett and Vanowen In North Hollywood, some memorable characters from Star Wars, including the vill anus Dartth Vader and the Stormtroopers or stormtroopers of the Galactic Empire troops.
“I want a photo with them!” Exclaimed Ernie Sánchez, who, due to emotion, forgot that his son Vincent also wanted to greet the characters.
“He likes Star Wars a lot,” said Bonnie Botero, wife of Ernie, a Colombian woman who works alongside detectives at the LAPD’s North Hollywood Police Station.
In the December event, the presence of Santa Claus, the character based on the figure of the bishop of Greek origin, Nicolás de Bari, who lived in the fourth century in Anatolia, in the valleys, could not be absent. from Licia of present-day Turkey.
With a big smile, Marco Rosales, from 14 years announced that he already wrote the letter that he will send to the character, from whom he wants to bring him clothes, video games and $ 15. 00.
We just changed to an apartment and we have to pay a lot of rent, ”her mother, Mónica Rosales, responded. “Maybe the $ 15. . ”
And in the practice of the community police, numerous LAPD agents let the children come up and touch their horses, and some even put them on their motorcycles.
“I have been for 15 years in the LAPD Valley Traffic Division and I can see how impressive it is to be with people the one you serve, ”said an officer surnamed Urías. “People have been able to see the friendly side of the work we do and what better occasion to spend with them than the days before Christmas.”
The North Hollywood Division of the LAPD serves the communities of Cahuenga Pass, North Hollywood, Studio City, Sun Valley, Toluca Lake, Toluca Woods, Universal City, Valley Glen, Valley Village, West Toluca.