Toys for Tots bring Santa’s Ho Ho to kids

Christmas is the season for giving. Well, over a hundred students from numerous schools were today made a whole lot happier. The Toys for Tots Committee of the Continental Airlines hosted a party for needy children at the House of Culture. The children practiced their moves, Santa was on hand and there enough to eat. News Five’s Delahnie Bain joined them at the House of Culture.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

The Toys for Tots Committee at Continental Airlines hosted its annual Christmas party at the House of Culture today. According to the Country Manager, Indira Craig, they cater to needy children and this year they extended the guest list.

Indira Craig, Country Manager, Continental Airlines

“Because we’ve been doing it for over ten years, we do have a list of schools we work with, we do go for the needier children and we added on some more, taking on some schools that we were working closely with for the feeding program. So we have a total of nineteen schools participating this year. Normally it’s ten, but we have nineteen this year and we are catering for a hundred and twenty-five kids that you see out here today.”

And it was a fun-filled day for all the kids as well as for the airline employees, who let their inner child come out to play.

Martin Lopez

“We play and get fun.”

Delahnie Bain

“And weh you mi di do?”

Jesse Cutkelvin

“I mi di dance and I mi di play musical chairs.”

Delahnie Bain

martin lopez & jesse cutkelvin

“And weh unnu enjoy di best so far?”

Martin Lopez

“The gift.”

Delahnie Bain

“And you?”

Jesse Cutkelvin

“Food.”

amanda romero

Amanda Romero

“I mi di play.”

Delahnie Bain

“And weh dah your favourite thing todeh?”

Amanda Romero

“Di play.”

Ruby Chavez

ruby chavez

“Play, drink juice, eat.”

Delahnie Bain

“And you gone si Santa?”

Ruby Chavez

“Yes, ih give me something.”

Delahnie Bain

“When you wah open your gift?”

Ruby Chavez

“When my mommy come.”

Indira Craig

“We started lunch time so we had lunch for them. We have music, as you can see. We have games and that’s the best part; games and surprises. Everybody will leave with something in their hand today. We have gifts for everyone.”

They’re involved in several community projects, but Craig says the Christmas party is especially dear to the Toys for Tots committee.

Indira Craig

Indira Craig

“This is how Toys for Tots originated; wanting to do something for the children as well as the community so it’s really a very sentimental project for us and it’s something we’re very committed to and we look forward to doing it every year because you’re right, for a lot of these kids, this is Christmas. So they come out and have a good time, we have a good time as you can see we’ve been acting quite as old as they are and it’s just a day that we get really excited about to get out here with the children.”

Leftover funds from last year’s Rock the Runway Fashion Show were used to finance today’s event.  Delahnie Bain for News Five.