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McAllen Police Department hands out thousands of toys at festival
Comments 0 | Recommend 0Maria Bravo looked on as her young daughters cradled their new toys - still in their boxes - and chewed on fruit and candy.
"It was nice for them," the 38-year-old Pharr resident said in Spanish. "They seem really happy."
Bravo was one of hundreds of parents to bring their eager children to the city's Christmas for Kids festival on Saturday, an annual event in which city leaders team up with the McAllen Police Department to give toys to children in the community.
Officials estimated that by noon, about 5,000 children had received at least one free toy. Hundreds of volunteers gathered for the event, which lasted from 9:30 a.m. to about 1 p.m.
The festival was complete with a parade and live entertainment from bands who volunteered through Hermes Music store in McAllen.
One band featured a Mrs. Santa impersonator in clown paint who was throwing toys at audience members.
"Hurray for McAllen PD!" the lead singer chanted. "Hurray for the children!"
While city officials credit police Chief Victor Rodriguez for coming up with the idea for the event, the chief says the festival is entirely a community project.
"Community members are the ones who donate the funds and the toys and their talent," Rodriguez said.
"They volunteer their time to distribute (the toys). ... They make this program a reality. At the McAllen (Police Department), we just get the honor and privilege of putting all the resources together."
Rodriguez said many children received two toys this year because the Police Department had many donated toys to distribute.
"This was a good year," he said. "There was not one child here without a smile."
Angelica Perez, 33, of McAllen, watched her three boys as they rolled basketballs on the ground and tore through plastic wrapping for some toy action figures they had received.
"They got good gifts," she said, smiling at the boys. "They left happy."
Ana Ley covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4428.
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