HOLLYWOOD – Making her 24th appearance in “Christmas Stories XXVI” Nancy Cartwright, Honorary Mayor of the North San Fernando Valley—when she isn’t being the voice of Bart Simpson—brought down the house with “The 12 Days of Christmas”. By the 5th day of Christmas, the entire audience was singing along with her, as she was holding up an appropriate “prop” for that particular day. Needless to say, tossing raw eggs into the air for “6 geese a laying” proved the most popular day.

The show, hosted at The Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre benefitted the Hollywood Police Department’s youth programs for at-risk youth, as well as the Department’s annual Christmas party for underprivileged children. Others in the cast included James Barbour, Michelle Stafford, David Campbell, Raven Kane, Jim Meskimen, David O’Donnell and Jennifer Aspen.

The Christmas Stories stage is a 1935s style radio show setting with performances of traditional and original stories and songs, now it its 26th year. The annual event has raised more than $420,000 in proceeds for the community programs since it began in 1992.

Cartwright, Honorary Mayor for nearly 13 years now, started helping the LAPD back in 2005 by hosting fundraisers for the LAPD Devonshire PALS facility. She is the founder of Happy House and along with Executive Director Carol Loweree, her character-building program is now in two LAPD facilities, so “helping” has long been a purpose of Northridge’s own mayor.

The Hollywood police youth programs are operated by the police officers themselves and include educational, recreational and athletics activities as an alternative to gangs. This approach furnishes positive role models for Hollywood youth while providing leadership and life skills.

Additionally, the funds generated from the show support the Hollywood Police Support Association’s annual Christmas party, which is organized in cooperation with the Hollywood community. Seeking out and inviting children who would otherwise nave no Christmas, hundreds of toys are provided for the children and their families, complete with Santa Claus to deliver them.

In accepting an “oversized check” for $20,000, the LAPD Hollywood Division Area Commander Captain Cory Palka said from the stage, “I’ve seen time and time again, you reach into your pockets, come with hearts, come with your hands to help people who are so needy in Hollywood and without this partnership, we wouldn’t have the successes that we are starting to see and the growth we are starting to see.”