More than 1,000 South Bay families will have a merrier Christmas this year thanks to the Chula Vista Police Foundation, Athletes for Education and Walmart.
The three groups teamed up to bring holiday meals to families in need Tuesday morning in the Walmart parking lot on Broadway.
St. Nick was on hand to kick off the two-hour event, arriving in his sleigh to give toys and candy canes to the children.
“This is just a fabulous event where we have a opportunity to really showcase that this is a giving time of year and an opportunity for officers to show that it’s not about enforcement, it’s about getting out and helping people,” Chula Vista Police Chief Roxana Kennedy told NBC 7.
Arturo, who was there with his family, said he thought the event was “fun, awesome and cool.” He said he was most looking forward to staying for the raffle to see if he would win one of the 15 bikes being given away.
Several professional athletes were at the event, including MMA fighter Phil Davis from Alliance Gym and former NFL players Darren Carrington of the Chargers and Leon White of the Cincinnati Bengals.
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Participating families were invited to the event beforehand and were given holiday vouchers, but any family that showed up was given a dinner without question.
