BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A Bakersfield non-profit that has spent more than 20 years throwing Christmas parties for first-graders at low-income schools is gearing up for its annual fundraiser next month.
The Jingle Bell Club will host "Partini Fore the Kids" on Oct. 15 at the Bakersfield Country Club. The event features a silent auction, a live auction, food, and cocktails. Tickets are available through the Jingle Bell Club's website.
Dr. Sudhir Patel, the organization's founder, said the idea came out of a conversation with colleagues after a long day in the newborn intensive care unit.
"The moment came one day when we had a very busy day at the newborn intensive care. We were debriefing afterwards and we thought, you know, we need to do something more for the children who are not sick all the time."
Patel said the memory of receiving Christmas gifts as a child inspired the direction of the effort.
"When we started talking, the memory that came up, you know, 30, 40 years later for all of us was Christmas, getting that Christmas present, the joy that we felt when we got the present, and so we decided to try to create an event around that memory."
The Jingle Bell Club puts on Christmas parties for first-graders at several low-income schools, including College Heights, which was the organization's first partner school. Children at the parties receive food, presents, sweatshirts, and new shoes.
Patel said the shoes were added after volunteers noticed children arriving in worn footwear.
"We noticed that many of the children were coming in winter with used shoes that were worn, and so we decided to add the shoes to the event."
At the parties, Santa Claus visits the children. Patel said the experience is unlike anything else.
"They believe even though there are 100 children in the room, they believe Santa came only for them."
Patel said the Partini fundraiser has become a sold-out event and takes on the feel of a community reunion.
"It has turned into something like that because many of the patients, the people we've seen again and again for 20 years."
He said the community's response to the cause has been deeply meaningful.
"It's very rewarding to know that there are so many people in the community who are willing to help this kind of event, which is odd because, you know, it's not life saving to people, but it does, we believe, create a meaningful change in the children's lives."
Volunteers have never been in short supply, Patel said.
"We just put the word out and we've never had a time where we didn't have more volunteers than we needed."
Tickets for "Partini Fore the Kids" are available on the Jingle Bell Club's website.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy
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