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With the holidays nearly upon us and as you prepare for your celebration, I hope you will consider helping us bring Christmas in the Classroom.  This year continues to be very difficult for many families.  Many parents are still without jobs. This holiday season will be especially trying for the children of these families who, without your help, will not receive a gift for Christmas.

Last year, Christmas in the Classroom was able to provide gifts for over 3,200 children at Juniper and Date Elementary Schools in Fontana, San Antonio Elementary in Pomona, and Troth Elementary School in Mira Loma, California.  These schools are Title One schools which means the majority of the students come from economically-challenged backgrounds.  Santa and…

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Thanks to the local nonprofit Christmas in the Classroom, 3,200 students, the entire student bodies of four Title 1 elementary schools, received a gift delivered to them by Santa.

Last week Maria Vasquez, who founded the 501c3 in 2004, and many of her community elves, traveled to Juniper and Date Elementary in Fontana, Troth Elementary in Corona and Pomona’s San Antonio Elementary helping Santa with his toy distribution.

“This is so wonderful,” said Selene Amancio, principal of San Antonio. “Our students are so excited. For a lot of them this will be the only gift they receive.”

Last Christmas, there was some question if the program would…

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Happy tears dripped down Maria Vazquez’ face as she watched the children clutch their gifts.

For the seventh year Maria, a Chino resident, and her dedicated band of holiday helpers, were hosting Christmas in the Classroom at Fontana’s Juniper Elementary School.

Christmas in the Classroom sprang from Maria’s heart when she learned that so many local children weren’t going to have a very merry Christmas.

“My daughter Melissa was a second-grade teacher here and she asked her students, `how many of you do not celebrate Christmas?’ She was shocked when almost every hand went up,” Maria said.

Melissa was asking out of religious respect, but soon learned that there were other reasons children do not celebrate the holidays.

“They…

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“Look what I got, look what I got,” came the jubilant shouts from around the auditorium at Pomona’s San Antonio Elementary School.

“How did Santa know this was just what I wanted,” said 6-year-old Estavan Juarez, who tightly held his brand new Superman action figure close to his heart.

Hot Wheels, Barbie Dolls, basketballs and light-up fairy wands were just some of the toys Santa brought with him.

By the end of the day all 570 San Antonio students received a gift from their favorite fat man thanks to Christmas in the Classroom, a nonprofit founded by Chino resident Maria Vazquez.

“It’s a Christmas miracle,” said Vazquez, who was able to pull together enough gifts for San Antonio…