This year, the Imperial Court de San Diego held its 28th annual Toys for Kids drive, the GLBT community’s oldest holiday toy drive. The drive was established in 1976, and later named Toys for Kids Drive after the Marines’ Toy Drive refused to accept any donations from the GLBT community. Last year, the Imperial Court de San Diego distributed over 1,200 toys to under-privileged children at San Diego and Tijuana nonprofit agencies and shelters. Kids and families from Barrio Logan Station, North County Health Services-Encinitas Chapter, Bienestar, Interfaith Shelter Network, American Red Cross, Clark Middle School, H-Town, ACOSIDA, Las Memorias AIDS Hospice, APICAP, YMCA, Mission Hills Health Care Center and various Tijuana orphanages all benefited from last year’s drive. Numerous drop-off locations are participating this year; participants are asked to donate a new, unwrapped toy.

The Toys for Kids drive culminated in an Imperial Court-sponsored holiday show entitled “Little Holiday Star” which took place at Numbers on Sunday, Dec. 12.

Businesses who served as drop-off locations for toys included: The Center, Rainbow Road, Moby Dick’s, Brass Rail, The Hole, Flicks, Martinis Above Fourth, Bacchus House, The Caliph, Pecs, 6 Degrees, Hamburger Mary’s/Kickers, Bourbon Street, GSDBA, Numbers, #1 Fifth Ave., San Diego Eagle, Patti’s Bar, The Flame, Hairspray, Cheers, The Loft, Secrets Wig Design, SRO Lounge, Fox Channel 6, Grand Pacific Palisades Resorts and Schumacher Carlsbad.