In 1987, my brother, Steve Harris decided he wanted to do something for children in the community. So with the help of our mother, Dru, they decided the best way to achieve this goal was to do it in conjunction with their church, Crenshaw Baptist Church in Torrance, which we had been members of since 1957. With the assistance and guidance of a life long friend and member of the church, Mary Jewell Mayes, the three of them began their search for children in need. Along with the help of others, they identified kids in need at The City of Hope Children's Hospital, and UCLA Harbor General Hospital.

A special fund was then set up at the church designated for exclusive use to help the children. The first year of the fund, the members purchased Christmas gifts for the children and delivered them to the hospitals and in some instances, directly to many of the children's homes. For the next two or three years the members continued to buy and deliver Christmas presents to the kids.

Three years later it was decided to concentrate their efforts at the local Harbor General Hospital only. At that point they teamed up with Lena Chin who was the head nurse of the pediatric hematology/oncology department. Initially the Christmas parties were held at the hospital, so all the children and their families could attend. Later due to space constraints they moved the party to the church fellowship hall. For the next eight years the annual Christmas party was held at the church. Eventually, due to the growth of the program and transportation problems the event was moved back to Harbor General Hospital in the auditorium.

Because Steve was very successful at South Bay Brokers in Manhattan Beach, he was able to continue to donate and replenish the fund each year. Additionally, he was able to expand his efforts and began assisting kids during other times of the year. On numerous occasions Steve would bring kids to the Empty Saddle Club in Rolling Hills for special events and provide them with western type gifts such as belts and cowboy hats. At the time he had his very first horse "Lefty". All the kids loved to ride on Lefty and on numerous occasions you could see Steve walking Lefty around the club grounds with the kids on his back.

In 1999 we lost Steve in a tragic horse accident at the Empty Saddle Club.

The following year I made a commitment, along with some of Steve's friends, to keep the tradition of helping kids going in Steve's name.

In September of 2001 we held our first fund raiser at the Empty Saddle Club by putting on a team penning and BBQ Dinner/Dance. Since that time we have continued to hold the Steve Harris Memorial Country BBQ Dinner/Dance and Auction every year. This year will be our eighth year with the event growing in size every year. Because of these successes and the continued support of the members of the Crenshaw Baptist Church, the members of the Empty Saddle Club, the community, The Graham brothers, all of Steve's friends, and especially "Mom", we have continued to be able to provide the annual Christmas party for the kids and their families.

Because of the growth of the program, this year we have formed a committee of friends. Currently this committee is in the process of making the plans for this year's event. It promises to be the largest in our history.

For up-to-date information about this year's fund raiser, check the 2009 Event Page of this website. We look forward to seeing you there.

Jeff Harris
President/Charity Administrator