Like so many parents on Christmas Eve, volunteers hunkered down reading directions, putting together bikes and toys that had “some assembly required.”
Lists were checked, gifts were organized as the Anaheim Convention Center got a sprinkling of Christmas magic Friday ahead of a giant giveaway planned Saturday, Dec. 20, by Families Together of Orange County.
Volunteers are directed where to place boxes full of toys as they prepare for the Families Together of Orange County’s 20th Christmas Together celebration at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Friday, December 19, 2025. The event will take place on Saturday, during which 30,000 toys will be distributed to children. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kendra Caniggia of LA Print House puts up signage in preparation for the Families Together of Orange County’s 20th Christmas Together celebration at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Friday, December 19, 2025. The event will take place on Saturday, during which 30,000 toys will be distributed to children. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Volunteers assemble bicycles as they prepare for the Families Together of Orange County’s 20th Christmas Together celebration at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Friday, December 19, 2025. The event will take place on Saturday, during which 30,000 toys will be distributed to children. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Volunteers unload thousands of toys from trucks as they prepare for the Families Together of Orange County’s 20th Christmas Together celebration at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Friday, December 19, 2025. The event will take place on Saturday, during which 30,000 toys will be distributed to children. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
as they prepare for the Families Together of Orange County’s 20th Christmas Together celebration
in Anaheim on Friday, December 19, 2025. The event will take place on Saturday, 12/20 wfhere 30,000 toys will be distributed to children in the community.(Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Volunteers stack boxes full of toys as they prepare for the Families Together of Orange County’s 20th Christmas Together celebration at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Friday, December 19, 2025. The event will take place on Saturday, during which 30,000 toys will be distributed to children. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Volunteers stand by pallets of boxes filled with toys as they await instructions from organizers as they prepare for the Families Together of Orange County’s 20th Christmas Together celebration at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Friday, December 19, 2025. The event will take place on Saturday, during which 30,000 toys will be distributed to children. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Isabel “Bellatini” Reyes, a stage producer with Friends Over Followers, tries out an electric toy motorcycle as they prepare for the Families Together of Orange County’s 20th Christmas Together celebration at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Friday, December 19, 2025. The event will take place on Saturday, during which 30,000 toys will be distributed to children. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dani Bryant of Orange laughs as she shows fellow volunteers the instructions for bike assembly as they prepare for the Families Together of Orange County’s 20th Christmas Together celebration at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Friday, December 19, 2025. The event will take place on Saturday, during which 30,000 toys will be distributed to children. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Volunteers are directed where to place boxes full of toys as they prepare for the Families Together of Orange County’s 20th Christmas Together celebration at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim on Friday, December 19, 2025. The event will take place on Saturday, during which 30,000 toys will be distributed to children. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Some 30,000 gifts are expected to be distributed throughout the day, with families that preregistered for the “Christmas Together” event enjoying holiday entertainment and photos with Santa Claus.
More than 130 volunteers helped on Friday to prepare for the festivities and the giveaway had support from the city of Anaheim, CalOptima Health, Labcorp and First Citizens Bank.
This is the 20th year the nonprofit has helped ensure local children enjoy some holiday cheer — it did take a year off in 2024. The rest of the year, Families Together helps provide comprehensive care to vulnerable communities at its community clinics and wellness center.
“This has been a challenging year for many families in Orange County,” Alexander Rossel, CEO of Families Together of Orange County, said in a statement. “As a community health center, we see firsthand how rising costs affect the well-being of the families we serve. Christmas Together is an extension of our mission, and a way to bring a little light and joy during a time when many parents are under tremendous pressure.”