25,000 kids and families helped at Christmas in the Park at Fair Park
NORTH TEXAS – Tens of thousands of children and families in need received new toys, bicycles, clothes, and coats Saturday at the 26th annual Christmas in the Park at Fair Park. The S.M. Wright Foundation sponsored the event and said about 14% of people living in Dallas County do not have their basic needs met, which the event aims to change this holiday season.
Kids and their parents handpicked what they wanted from 13,000 items. It might just be a box, but the toy inside means the world to kids.
LaToya Jones brought her five daughters to the event.
"We really need the help, and they have many great toys. My babies, they got to pick all of their things," Jones said.
"It makes me feel happy knowing that I get the toy that I want and also that other people can get the toys that they want to," Ki'Mourah Jones said.
Children walked into a winter wonderland and a line of toys as far as the eye could see at the event inside the massive automobile building at Fair Park. Twenty-five thousand kids and families received 2,000 bicycles, 5,000 toys, 2,000 coats, and 2,000 pairs of shoes.
Volunteers also handed out canned goods, turkeys, hams, and 5,000 hot boxed meals.
"It's so important to us to spend our resources and our group and our time off to give back to the community. We've been blessed to have the things that we do, so with our titles and with our organization, we have the opportunity to give back," said Anna Franklin, executive director of Royal International Miss Texas.
You can donate items and money for next year's event by going to smwright.org.