Editor’s Note: Due to forecasts of bad weather, this event was rescheduled after the publication of this article in our print edition. The article has been updated.
Maverick Helicopters recently announced its 3rd Annual Toy Drive in partnership with the city of Avalon & Avalon Sheriff Station. The campaign continues the new tradition of delivering toys and joy for Avalon’s children in need during the holiday season.
Maverick Helicopters will be collecting gift donations at its Long Beach Queen Mary & Avalon Terminal, Avalon City Hall, and Avalon Sheriff Station until Dec. 19.
On Friday, Dec. 22, Santa and his elves will load the donated gifts into a helicopter, and fly to Avalon where they will be joined by Mercy Air who will deliver some of the gifts to Children’s Hospital Orange County. CHOC is incredibly important to the Avalon community and has treated many children from the island with terminal illnesses. Deputies from the Avalon Sheriff Station will also be present to be on the lookout for the Grinch to ensure he doesn’t try to ruin the day. They will then escort Santa and his elves to the City Hall where the gifts will be distributed to local children.
Santa will be flying one of his new EC130-B4 helicopters so Rudolph and the other reindeer can have a well-deserved break before Christmas Eve.
Maverick Helicopters is excited once again to partner with Santa for this wonderful community initiative. “We are grateful for the support from our partners at the City of Avalon, Avalon Sheriff’s Station, and of course, Santa himself for making this holiday season a little more memorable for the younger island residents and their families who depend on tourism, which is minimal this time of year”. Said Ben Villalobos, VP of Business Development, Maverick Helicopters.
Captain Matthew King added, “Avalon Sheriff’s Station is proud to partner with Maverick Helicopters and the City of Avalon to deliver toys to the boys and girls in the Avalon community. This annual tradition has become a highlight for Avalon Station personnel. We look forward to another successful year.”
“Each year our Island is blessed with organizations such as Maverick Helicopters, Southern California Edison, and the LA County Sheriff’s Department for partnering with the city to provide Christmas joy to our community, by delivering Santa’s toys for those who are less fortunate or can use a little help this Holiday”. Said David Hart, Community Service Manager for the City of Avalon.
Santa is scheduled to depart from Maverick Helicopters’ Queen Mary Terminal in Long Beach at 10.45 AM on Wednesday, December 20, 2023. To donate a toy via Amazon, please ship to
Maverick Helicopters Toy Drive, 1175 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90802.
For more information visit FlyMaverick.com.
