DPSS Online

On a warm and sunny Saturday morning near Downtown Los Angeles, the fountain in Echo Park Lake was spraying a cool mist all across the horizon. The ducks didn't seem to mind the splash of refreshment as they playfully swam in a zig-zag across the lake. Even the volunteers setting up for the event at 7:00 a.m. had welcoming grins toward the breezy wetness.

The 31^st Annual Lotus Festival was held on Saturday and Sunday, July 12 & 13, 2008 and Toy Loan & Volunteer Services was there to represent the Department of Public Social Services on Saturday. Hundreds of children from all over Los Angeles and even from parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands stopped by the Toy Loan booth to receive small toy giveaways as the parents were educated on the benefits of the Toy Loan Program. Although the focus of Toy Loan was to make the children happy, the festival was aimed at educating the community on the culture of some of our neighbors here in Los Angeles.

The lotus flower is significant to the Asian cultures as a symbol of rebirth, purity and life. The festival is held in July when the lotus flower blooms. Echo Park Lake was selected as the site for the event due to its central location of local Asian and Pacific Islander communities and because it houses the largest lotus bed in the United States. The festival was originally named "The Day of the Lotus", and the purpose was to promote an awareness and understanding of the contributions by the Asian and Pacific Islander people to our culture and to the local and surrounding communities.

All-in-all, this was another successful event for Toy Loan and for the kids of L.A. County. The proof was in the huge smiles on the children's faces as they happily skipped away from the Toy Loan booth with their toys.