Volume 97 | December 10 - December 14, 2018
Thousands Celebrate Holidays at Snow Day, Tree Lighting Ceremony
More than 5,000 people celebrated the holidays with sledding, snowball fights and free hot chocolate and cookies at the City's Snow Day and Holiday Tree Lighting on December 8.

Sixty-five tons of snow transformed the lawn behind the Conference and Recreation Center into a winter wonderland with sledding ramps and plenty of room for snow angels.

Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez presided over the tree lighting ceremony, which featured entertainment by the City's Time for Tots students and other local performers.

The holiday tree will be on display through the first week of January, providing the perfect backdrop for holiday pictures.

The M on Box Spring Mountain will be lit red, white, and green every night through December 24 in celebration of the holiday season.
 
Make sure you post your pictures of Snow Day and the holiday tree to Instagram #ilovemoval #movalparks
Shop With a Cop Makes Holidays Brighter for Moreno Valley Children
The holidays were made a little brighter for 31 Moreno Valley children who were selected to participate in Shop with a Cop as part of the Moreno Valley Police Department’s Operation Holiday Cheer program.

On December 8, children were paired up with officers, volunteers, and police explorers to shop at the Moreno Valley Walmart for gifts for themselves and their families.

The department’s K-9 Arkan and Volunteer Posse Horse Duke also made an appearance.

Operation Holiday Cheer would not be possible without the support and generous donations from residents, and local businesses, including Walmart.

To donate to Operation Holiday Cheer, drop off new, unwrapped toys and sports equipment, gift cards, and wrapping paper and boys to the Moreno Valley Police Department.
Harbor Freight Donates Pallets of Toys to Spark of Love Toy Drive
The Harbor Freight Distribution Center in Moreno Valley is helping firefighters bring holiday cheer to children in need.

Harbor Freight donated three pallets full of toys to the Spark of Love Toy Drive to provide holiday gifts to children across Moreno Valley.

Over the last 26 years, firefighters from across Southern California and ABC7 have collected more than ten million toys for their Spark of Love Toy Drive. Toys are given to disadvantaged children and teenagers in the community where the toys were donated.

To donate to the Spark of Love Toy Drive, simply drop off new, unwrapped toys or sports equipment at any Moreno Valley fire station.
Anti-bullying Campaign Helps Students Build Relationships
Students at the City’s afterschool program at Mountain View Middle School are focusing on bully prevention through building positive relationships with others.

The anti-bullying campaign “Shine Light” encourages students and staff to actively praise each other. Participants also write stories about how someone helped them through the week or did something positive. Every Friday, those individuals are recognized publicly as a way of “shining light” on acts of kindness.

The program works to build solid relationships among the program’s students and challenge them to do so with other students.

Weekly team challenge activities and youth development lessons pair with the bully prevention initiative to keep students engaged while helping them problem solve in difficult situations.
Keeping Moreno Valley Beautiful with Drought Tolerant Landscaping
The City recently planted drought tolerant landscaping and installed water conserving drip irrigation on medians on Frederick Street near Sunnymead Boulevard.

These upgrades are part of the City’s continued commitment to water conservation and Keeping Moreno Valley Beautiful.

The project was funded through the landscape maintenance district.
Moreno Valley Animal Shelter Pet of the Week
Each week the Moreno Valley Animal Shelter highlights a pet available for adoption in the hopes of finding them a forever home.


Decker (#A491316) is a sweet eleven-month-old Yorkshire Terrier. He is the perfect pup to cozy up with this holiday season.


Please visit the Moreno Valley Animal Shelter located at 14041 Elsworth Street to inquire about adopting Decker or other pets in search of lifelong companions.