JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Duval County tradition made its return Saturday morning.
Thousands of kids got presents at the Children’s Christmas Party of Jacksonville at the Prime Osborn Convention Center downtown.
It was the first time the event went on as planned since 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has been 24 years of Jacksonville’s biggest one-day toy giveaway.
Tina Daniels along with her family and friends camped out for more than 16 hours.
They were not alone.
“It means a lot,” Daniels said with tears in her eyes. “It means a lot that Jacksonville, Florida cares about us just that much to supply as many families as they can for people who can’t spend a lot of money on toys.”
The Children’s Christmas Party of Jacksonville provided an option for kids to have presents under a tree this year.
“We are kind of bouncing back-and-forth since COVID-19,” Daniels said of some of her family’s struggles. “We have been going through situations, but we are making it, and this right here is going to help us even more.”
Nearly 60,000 toys, stuffed animals and up to 500 bikes, scooters and wagons were up for grabs for kids 12 years old and younger.
“It is [about] loving our neighbor,” said Diane Halverson, the Christmas Party of Jacksonville’s executive director. “Being in a community as generous as Jacksonville and companies in individuals and firms and groups, who just try everything they can to try and help.”
Jacksonville’s First Lady Molly Curry was on deck to hand out the bikes, along with her two daughters.
“I am just so grateful to be here just to see their smiles and see how happy the kids are to be able to share in this,” Curry said. “This is really one of the highlights of our Christmas season.”
More than 700 volunteers, including our News4JAX family, handed out gifts and stuffed animals to people like Cheyanne Harrington’s family members.
“It means the kids can have a Christmas,” Harrington said. “The last couple of years have been really hard on a lot of people and our family, especially. It is really nice that people are nice enough to donate and do all of these things for the less fortunate. It really means a lot to everybody.”
To the grateful recipients, they say this event proves that there is still good in the world.