The LAFD Board of Honorary Awards presented the Crystal Flame Community Service Award to Firefighter Mike Marquez for his continuing dedication to the Spark of Love Toy Drive. The Award is bestowed upon a sworn member who has gone beyond his or her regular duties, demonstrating exceptional compassion and personal commitment to the community.
Michael Marquez joined the LAFD in 1990. He currently serves on the “B” Platoon at Fire Station 76, where he is dedicated to community service and to supporting needy families across Los Angeles.
Marquez was one of seven children raised by a single mother. Holidays were especially hard for the Marquez family, as the budget for gifts was tight. Thanks to an annual toy drive at the neighborhood church, Mike and his siblings would receive donated gifts.
Along with his work as a firefighter, Marquez manages the LAFD’s annual “Spark of Love” toy drive for needy children. In this capacity, he opens and operates what has become known as “Toy Central” in November, where he orchestrates various charity groups, churches, and organizations throughout the city who represent children in need of toys. After receiving donations, he and his team catalog them to ensure the toys go to those children who would normally not receive a gift during the holidays.
Until January, Marquez dedicates himself to managing the collection of toys from all of LAFD’s fire stations and across various donation sites. In addition to managing the department’s toy program, Mike has become a mentor and role model to the LAFD Cadets who assist him with the Spark of Love toy program. Young men and women who are pursuing their dream of becoming LAFD firefighters are inspired by Mike Marquez and learn from him the true meaning of service to the community.
Mike’s three children help out by volunteering their weekends to the program. “The real credit goes to my wife, who doesn’t see me for two full months during the holiday season,” Mike says. “She’s willing to put her birthday and our anniversary aside so I can run the program.”
Mike’s involvement and efforts with the Spark of Love program earned him a nomination for Firefighter of the Year in 2014, as well as many certificates and awards. Still, he embodies the kind of modesty that characterizes most LAFD firefighters. If you ask him, Mike will say he’s “not doing anything out of the ordinary.” But the thousands of families whose lives are touched by the program would say otherwise.
Toy Central Opens on November 25th
The Friday after Thanksgiving officially marks the opening of the LAFD Toy Program, which runs for six weeks. LA City is the lead agency for all of Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Even toys donated through sites set up by ABC7 are filtered through “Toy Central,” the drill floor at Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center.
Every toy that comes through Toy Central must be counted, sorted, allocated and distributed. It’s a huge warehouse type operation with very intricate logistics. After the toys are sorted, they are allocated to more than 700 certified charitable organizations. The toys are transported to the closest fire station to the requesting organization for distribution by the firefighters there.
The success of the program each year can be attributed to all of the hard work from all of the wonderful volunteers, as well as the media partnerships. KABC TV’s “Spark of Love” campaign is an invaluable resource for getting the word out to the community.
According to Program Coordinator Mike Marquez, “The cadets are the ones that make this thing work. Some of them are here for hundreds of hours each.”
Volunteers Needed
Firefighters are needed to make this program work. You can show-up any day at FHMTC from the day after Thanksgiving until after New Years to help out. You can even bring the kids – it will be a fun day for all, picking up and delivering toys to fire stations all over the city.
If you are headed downtown on a detail or training, when your shift is over, please gather the toys from your station and drop them off at Toy Central. They are always short on drivers and even this little bit really helps.
If you need more information, contact Mike Marquez at FS 76-B.