Coachella Valley helps Sandy Hook victims

“I do think it impacts every single one of us,” said Janet Galippo, of Palm Desert.

Galippo says it’s painful to be more than 2,000 miles away, just watching and waiting for details to unfold from the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut.

“I just thought, I can’t not do anything,” she said.

In honor of the Newtown children whose Christmas’ and lives were taken too soon, Galippo’s business, Total Watch Security in Palm Desert is collecting toys for the Galilee Center in Coachella for valley kids in need.

“It’s a special thing to do, to give them to kids in our community who might not otherwise have a Christmas. It’s in memory of those 20 children.”

The Galippo’s are challenging Valley neighbors to donate 1-20 toys for each of the 20 child victims killed.

People around the world are also looking to help, simply by sending a heartfelt message to the families affected. The US Postal Service dedicated a P.O. box to the Newtown community.

You can mail cards and kind words to:

Message of Condolence, P.O. box 3700, Newtown, Connecticut 06470.

Also, Palm Desert High School’s student council, ASB, is collecting teddy bears to send to all of the children at Sandy Hook Elementary as a symbol of comfort for the young kids there coming to terms with what happened.

Galippo says donations for the “20 Toys for 20 Children Toy Drive” can be dropped off at Total Watch Security at: 77832 Wildcat Drive, Suite 3. Palm Desert, CA.

Give them a call at 760-610-5984 and they will send a representative to pick up your donations.

In wake of tragedy, they’re celebrating their memory. A tradition she hopes will live on.

“It would be great if we could do this every year. We would remember these 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary,” said Galippo.