California Irvine Athletics

IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine Athletics partnered with the UC Irvine Police Department in their annual Teddy Bear Toy Drive on Thursday, December 10.

The police department invited UC Irvine student-athletes and staff to accompany officers to deliver gifts to children receiving care at the UC Irvine Medical Center and spend some time with their families in what has become an annual gesture from both organizations.

Gifts were delivered to children in the Neonatal Intensive Care and Emergency units. Various Anteaters from multiple sports were there to give a hand, and shared their experiences:

Shelby Lee (WSOC) - "The university does so much for athletics, and this was a great way to spread holiday cheer and give back to our community with the help of UCIPD."

Marty Ross (MVB) - "Handing out toys to the kids was an amazing experience. It was such a rewarding feeling to see the excitement on the kids' and parents' faces. I am thankful for this opportunity to give back during the holidays."

Tayla Jackson (WBB)- "It was nice to be given the opportunity to make people smile and lift their spirits during this special time of year."

Tatiana Martinez (WT&F) - "It was amazing and so heartwarming to see how excited some of the kids got when they saw the stuffed animals, and it's always such a pleasure to be able to give to others, especially around the holidays. It was an awesome experience!"

Aaron Wright (MBB) - "So glad to be here giving back to the community during the holidays; it means a lot!"

Victoria Dennis (WVB) - "Seeing the children's faces light up when they see the toys puts everything in perspective. These kids are so strong, and doing a little something to make their day brighter is the least we can do. Also, thank you to the UCIPD for coming and helping, you guys are awesome!"

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