Via www.avta.com
Lancaster – The Antelope Valley Transit Authority's (AVTA) all-electric bus is set to star in the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce "A Hollywood Christmas" parade on Saturday, December 3. The parade is the roll out for the transit agency's annual Stuff-a-Bus holiday Toy Drive, with the goal of collecting enough new unwrapped toys, clothing and gifts to completely fill up the 40-foot bus. The specially decorated, zero-emissions bus will be making stops at several locations across the Antelope Valley in December to receive donations. AVTA works with several charitable organizations here in the Antelope Valley, who will receive and distribute all of the toys and gifts collected to underprivileged children in our community.
AVTA is also pleased to have fantastic support from the local business community for this year's Stuff-aBus Holiday Toy Drive. Major contributors include Walmart, BYD, High Desert Medical Group, Lancaster Jethawks, OpSec Security and Transdev, along with the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale. To say thank you, AVTA will feature their logos on the Electric Stuff-a-Bus. For a complete list of all Stuff-a-Bus sponsors, please visit www.avta.com.
"AVTA is committed to partnering with the community each holiday season, bringing joy to those in need," said Board Chairman Marvin Crist. "The key to our success is our staff, volunteers, local residents and sponsors, all working together with the goal of helping kids." AVTA's Stuff-a-Bus has a busy schedule in December. The bus will appear in both the Lancaster and Palmdale Christmas parades, and will also provide four opportunities for people to donate new unwrapped toys and gifts. Festive volunteers ringing bells and chanting "Stuff That Bus!" will be at the Antelope Valley Mall in Palmdale from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 3, immediately following the Lancaster holiday parade. Donations will also be collected on Sunday, December 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the West Palmdale Walmart on 10th Street West near Avenue O. On Saturday, December 10, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the Stuff-A-Bus will take part in "A Magical BLVD Christmas" on Lancaster Blvd. and will be ready and waiting for donations. The final opportunity to help "Stuff That Bus!" will be on Sunday, December 11th, at the West Lancaster Walmart on Valley Central Way, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
"This is the perfect time of year to bring the magic of the holidays to others," said AVTA Executive Director Len Engel. "We provide a service to the community every day, but the holidays are when we try to do something special for those who need it most. It's AVTA's way of promoting goodwill and caring within the community."
The AVTA Stuff-a-Bus was started over 20 years ago as a way for the agency to help less fortunate children and families in the community during the holidays. This year's event will benefit families from Grace Resource Center, the Children's Center of the Antelope Valley, the South Antelope Valley Emergency Services (SAVES), the Child and Family Guidance Center, the Children's Bureau of the Antelope Valley, and the Marco & Sandra Johnson Foundation.
AVTA provides local, commuter and dial-a-ride service to a population of more than 450,000 residents in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale as well as the unincorporated portions of northern Los Angeles County. Its total service area covers 1,200 square miles and it is bounded by the Kern County line to the north, the San Bernardino County line to the east, the Angeles National Forest to the south, and Interstate 5 to the West.
