STEPHANIE BERTHOLDO/Acorn NewspaperLIVING A LEGACY—George Annino, center, has been feeding the poor and brightening the lives ochildren through the Santa Comes to Agoura program for 29 years. The effort provides food and giftto low-income families in the area. Taking over will be the Westlake Village Junior Women's Clubrepresented here by co-president Roselle Wolfe, left, and transition leader Leisa Schwartz, right. For 29 years Oak Park resident George Annino has functioned as the heart and soul of the annual Santa Comes to Agoura and Beyond food drive. But this year will be Annino's last as the chief Santa organizer. The Westlake Junior Women's Club will take over the operation next year.

"I think it's time to pass it on," Annino said. "There's quite a bit of work involved. I start planning in March for the year."

Annino has logged thousands of hours over the years to make sure local families don't go hungry, especially during the holidays. He also delivers gift baskets filled with toys for children and daily necessities for adults.

"Some years ago when I was ill, I had to go through government agencies for help," Annino said. "It was a nightmare. Nobody should go through this."

Each year, Annino took the Santa effort to new heights. The first food drive provided a week's worth of groceries to only a handful of families.

Twenty-eight years later, Annino and his band of hardworking "elves" have supplied food and goods to more than 21,000 families. The parking lot at the Do-it Center in Agoura Hills long ago replaced Annino's home as the sorting location.

Annino said his parents encouraged him and his siblings to be generous with others while they were growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y.

"I learned about giving from my mother and father," he said. "My mother used to have a table set up outside our house. If somebody was hungry, they knew they could get something to eat. If it was chilly outside, they'd sit at the table and eat with us."

Annino has many fond memories of the Santa events. Thousand Oaks Acorn editor Steve Holt dressed up as Santa Claus one year and entertained a local family whose child was battling a brain tumor. "To see the look on their faces was so rewarding," Annino said.

Santa "Steve" and Annino traveled to many homes that night, delivering gifts to children.

The yearly food drive isn't affiliated with any religious organization.

"For me the greatest part of the whole program is you're helping somebody when they're down and out, and you're doing it with no strings attached," Annino said.

Annino said he'll continue to work with the Westlake Junior Women's Club on the event but will cut back on his responsibilities. "I will not leave them high and dry—not on this scale," he said.

Denis Weber, an Agoura Hills City Council member, joked that Annino had planned on stepping down 10 years ago.

"I think sometimes people wonder why God puts us on earth," Weber said. "George is a dad, a husband, a grandfather, but (the Santa Comes to Agoura effort) is what he's going to be known for."

Women's club member Leisa Schwartz, the person put in charge of handling the transition, said her organization will "shadow" Annino this year to learn the ropes and find out how such a wide-scale food drive is successfully accomplished.

"By having all this information, we'll be able to sit down as a team and strengthen the program and keep George's vision alive," Schwartz said.

Annino will accept donations until Sat., Dec. 6, at which time food and toys will be separated and distributed. Toys and nonperishable food can be dropped off at several Westlake Village businesses: Independent Acura and Honda on La Baya Drive, First Federal Bank of California on Thousand Oaks Boulevard (also in Agoura Hills on Kanan Road) and Home Decor on Via Colinas. On Sat. Nov. 22, Boy Scouts will collect groceries at Ralphs in Agoura Hills and at Albertsons in Calabasas and Westlake Village.

Annino needs help with sorting food on Dec. 6. Volunteers should come to the Do-it Center in Agoura Hills between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. to help.