This year KYCC brought holiday spirit to Koreatown with our 31st Annual Holiday Carnival on December 14, 2024 at Wilton Place Elementary School! Thousands of KYCC community members, clients, and their families joined us for a festive day of free, hand-wrapped gifts from Santa, carnival games, performances, arts and crafts, and performances by J.U.I.C.E. hip hop, Micah the Magician, and Teake Martial Arts. This year’s Holiday Carnival served 451 households and gave away over 1,200 toys to children in our community!

KYCC’s Holiday Carnival was first started 31 years ago, born from our staff’s desire to give back to our clients and families during the holiday season. Three decades later, this cherished tradition has grown to the scale that it is today, serving thousands for a day of festive fun and holiday memories.  

“The idea of our carnival came from KYCC staff who saw local kids and families struggling during the holidays rather than celebrating the season as many others do,” says Johng Ho Song, KYCC Executive Director. “Our goal is to bring our resources and connections together to create a special event where every child leaves with a new, wrapped gift and cherished family memories of the holiday season.”

Free toys, resources, and activities were provided by all of our amazing community partners and in-kind donors. Thank you to New York Life, Immersive Arts Collective, MSA6, Wilton Elementary School, KARSH Center, Korean American Women’s Association, Bridge, US Bank, Office of State Senator Maria Elena Durazo, Anthem, Cedars Sinai, BMO, Health Net, Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky of Council District 5, Athens Services, Cielo, LAPD Olympic Division, 3rd Street Elementary, Alo Yoga & Bella-Canvas, Angell Foundation, APA Community Toy Drive, Baby2Baby, Bagel Broker, Bank of America, BCD Tofu House, Blumhouse Productions, Club Pilates Palos Verdes, Deborah Hyun, El Churro Panzon, Jenny Pak-Vincent, Law Offices of James S. Hong, Lee Min-Ho Fan Club USA Mino Zumc, LMNT, Material Plus, Mattel Children’s Foundation, NBCUniversal, Northgate Market, Rosa Devora, The Eisner Foundation, and Walk ‘n Rollers.

Our Holiday Carnival would not be possible without the dedication of our staff and volunteers. Each year, hundreds of volunteers and KYCC staff prepare for months and donate many hours of their time, to plan and host this special event for our community. 

We would like to give a huge thank you to all of our event sponsors for their support, partnership, and for making this a magical event for our community. Thank you to our Title Sponsor, New York Life Foundation, Arts and Crafts Sponsor US Bank, Santa Room Sponsor Anthem, Game Sponsor BMO and Park and Velayos LLP, Entertainment Sponsor Bank of America, Decorations Sponsor Health Net, Food and Beverage Sponsor SoCalGas, Equipment Sponsor Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky of Council District 5, Toy Sponsor Southwest, Athens Services, and Cedars Sinai, and Volunteer Sponsor Winsky Inc.