Have yourself a cuddly, wuddly Christmas

Amy R. Spurgeon

COSTA MESA -- The ninth annual Project Cuddle Christmas party at

the Costa Mesa Community Center Sunday provided more than 250 foster and

adopted children with a reason to laugh and smile.

Debbe Magnusen, founder of the nationwide nonprofit organization, was on

hand at the three-hour event to hug the children and greet as many faces

as possible.

Magnusen, who has seven children of her own -- five adopted --

established the support group for foster children and their families back

in 1992.

More than 700 people affiliated with Project Cuddle dined on In-N-Out

burgers, El Pollo Loco, pizza, juice, cake, powdered doughnuts and

homemade chocolate chip cookies for more than three hours.

Officers from the Costa Mesa Police Department were also on hand to give

out oversized, overstuffed teddy bears to more than 250 children.

The teddy bear serves as the organization’s undeclared mascot. Before

Magnusen started Project Cuddle she orchestrated the donation of hundreds

of stuffed animals to police precincts across Southern California for

children to hold on to after they had been taken out of an abused home.

“Look what the policeman gave us,” said 4-year-old Sean Kilby.

After 10 long years of trying to have children, Marie Kilby and her

husband adopted Sean and his twin brother Mark.Sean gave his new toy a

piggyback ride as he wandered around the large community center.

More than 3,000 toys and 300 bicycles were donated for Sunday’s event.

Children were handed fake money and went shopping inside a room filled

wall-to-wall with toys.

Sean bought his mom a Raggedy Ann doll with his money.

Kilby thanked Sean by saying the gift made her very happy.

“Is this the happiest day of your life?” Sean asked his mom.

“‘No, You know what the happiest day of my life is,”’ the mother said she

told her son. “I tell them that all of my dreams came true when I adopted

them.”

Santa and Mrs. Claus paid a visit to the party. A band, singers and a

comedian provided the afternoon’s entertainment free of charge.

While one day’s happiness may remain a lifelong memory, it won’t replace

all the obstacles foster and adopted children have faced along the way.

“It feels good to be adopted,” said 12-year-old Jonathan Nelson, “Because

before, with my mom, she was on drugs and I was in [a home].”

Sixteen-year-old Jeremey Henderson said he tries his best to keep a

positive outlook on life. Dressed in a black T-shirt, sporting spiked

blond hair and showing some signs of acne, Henderson plans to study

psychology one day in college.

“It’s OK, I have been in the system since I was 5,” he said. “But I would

rather be at home with my mom.”

Henderson still counts on the day he will be reunited with his mom, who

used to have a drug habit. He said as soon as she buys a house he will be

living with her again.

“If I have kids one day I will try to be a good parent,” he said. “Have a

house and provide for them. I won’t put them through the same thing that

I have gone through.”