Toluca Lake Magazine

Out & About

Kling Street Kids Celebrate Two Decades of Holiday Magic

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Photos by Daniel Deitch

The Kling Street Kids charity event in Toluca Lake holds a special place in the hearts of the community, with its rich tradition spanning two decades.

The initiative, which celebrated its 20th anniversary event on December 3, started after local resident Steve Stark and his two daughters, Callie and Cady, wanted to do something special to support the young patients at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles during the holidays. The event started with a bake sale, Pillow Pets adoption and the famous snow slide.

“Every Christmas night, when the event was over, the Stark family would take the Pillow Pets that were ‘adopted,’ along with get-well notes written by the children — and a good-sized check — to the hospital, hoping to bring some joy to the children,” neighbor Laura Scuticchio says. “When Callie and Cady grew up and went to college, the Starks passed the tradition on to three families on the block — the Davis, Barron and Scuticchio families. All of us had young kids and an eagerness to keep the magic going.”

For the past eight years, these three families, along with the rest of the neighborhood, have strived to continue the tradition of bringing neighbors together, building community spirit and teaching their children the importance of giving back. 

During this time, the event has grown into an annual holiday festival/street fair with pony rides, arts and crafts, games, food and drink, live music, face painting, a silent auction and more.

The dedication of the organizing families has seen the event expand significantly over the years. The 2023 milestone event reached an all-time attendance high of 1,500 people and raised an astounding $231,340.

“Being part of something that brings so many people together during the holidays is extremely rewarding, and we are eternally grateful for the opportunity,” Scuticchio says.