Carson City’s 16th Annual ‘Holiday with a Hero’ pairs over 340 children with local heroes for shopping spree
Heroes come in all forms, whether from law enforcement, first responders, doctors and nurses, or military, and our local heroes came out in full force today for the 16th annual “Holiday with a Hero,” which pairs local children with a hero for a shopping spree hosted by the Market Street Walmart.
A lot has changed since the first Holiday with a Hero almost two decades ago, and the biggest change is in the amount of kids that are able to be paired with heroes, the amount of heroes who volunteer each year to help, and the amount of funds the community donates to put it all together.
"The need keeps increasing, and the community continues to step up to the next level for us," said Carson City Sheriff's Sergeant Daniel Gonzales, who has organized the event since its beginning.
This year, over 340 children were able to be paired, from Kindergartners to Seniors in high school.
Santa arrived in style as he does every year, but for this occasion he swaps his magical reindeer for a Care Flight helicopter.
Carson City's Slot World made the largest contribution to Holiday with a Hero to date, with a $15,000 donation to help fund the project. Each child is given a $100 gift card to shop, and their hero partner helps them pick out their gifts for the holiday.
Several children were overheard wanting to buy presents for their parents, or to bring home groceries for dinner for their families. An organizer told the children to not worry about buying groceries, and that they would be taking care of the food; they should instead focus on whatever their heart desired.
"Everything we do in this community is about building relationships," said Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong. "It's about the kids. There is so much enthusiasm that is brought out for this. I couldn't believe the number of heroes who showed up and wanted to be with someone and have a good time. This is the one day a year we can all spend Christmas together."
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