Mexico post delivers toys to preschoolers
Kenny Solom, a member of American Legion Puerto Vallarta Post 14, helps distribute toys after the Legion and the Navy League team up to deliver approximately 200 toys to school children at the Clemente Orozco school in Colonia Coapinole, Jalisco, Mexico. (Photo by Lucas Carter/The American Legion)

Mexico post delivers toys to preschoolers

The American Legion post in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, surprised the 200 or so preschoolers at Jardin de Ninos Clemente Orozco School in Colonia Coapinole, Jalisco, on Tuesday.

The children knew that special guests would be arriving and prepared a Christmas song to greet them. After the song, school director Rosalva Copado Delgadillo told the children that the guests brought presents, which drew jumping, clapping and smiling.

“We’ve received 8,000 smiles in the past week,” Post 14 Commander Dennis Rike said, adding that this was the final distribution of Toys for Tots, a joint effort that has been going on around eight years by the Legion post and the local Navy League. “This was one of the best years of fundraising. We were able to give out around 8,000 toys, which is pretty good.”

Legionnaires passed out stuffed animals, balls, toy trucks and dolls to the children, many of who did not receive a Christmas gift because their families are poor.

“It’s very emotional because this is the first time that the students have received toys in many cases,” Delgadillo said. “You see the school, it is a lot of work from the teachers and parents. Many of the parents are poor and lower class. They work because it is important for them to show their kids so they can be proud of them.”​