Bronx veterans and their families enjoyed hot cocoa and cookies Saturday morning at the Dancing Crane Pavillion in the Bronx Zoo while waiting excitedly for the guest of honor to arrive—Santa—at the Veterans and Family Toy Giveaway, hosted by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).
Children jumped up and down, waving and cheering as they spotted Santa along with Mrs. Claus and a helpful elf. The trio made their way through the crowd, shaking hands and posing for photos with kids and families.
Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the elf stood by a podium, flanked by a line of armed services flags and a long table overflowing with toys. Soon, children—relatives of United States veterans—would have the chance to pick a toy from the impressive collection.
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson welcomed the service members and their families, thanking them for their sacrifice.
“Freedom is not free; people have sacrificed so that we can be here today,” Gibson said to the crowd of families. “This is the holiday season and we are so grateful on behalf of our team at the office of the Bronx Borough President, we say thank you so much for the honor and the privilege to serve all of you for such a time as this.”
She told the crowd that her commitment to the veterans of the Bronx goes beyond the holiday season, or Veteran’s Day.
“ We have to make sure that veterans are at the table, that you are connected to the resources and programs so that you can be safe and you can be stable,” Gibson said. “That is the work that we are adamantly supporting, and we will continue to address all year round.”
Families lined up next to the pile of presents and a few at a time, children browsed the toys and made their selections – a basketball, a fire truck, a teddy bear. After receiving their gift, each kid, and some adults too, got to meet the big man himself, Santa.
Shenice Soto was at the giveaway with her kids and her uncle’s husband, who served in the military. She said that even though it was cold, the kids were having a great time.
“ The cookies are amazing,” she said. “The activities with the kids are amazing. Everything is really wonderful here.”
Soto’s children already had their eyes on some things from the mountain of toys.
“ My daughter, she keeps looking at one of the Barbies and my son wants the Spider Man,” Soto said. “My older son was looking at the basketball.”
“ The cookies are amazing,” she said. “The activities with the kids are amazing. Everything is really wonderful here.”
Francisco Collado, who served in the Marines for four years, was holding his young son while in line to pick out a toy. He said that he saw some cool toys up for grabs.
“So far, I’ve seen a bunch of Monopoly boards there, and I’d be interested in that, but I’m not sure what he’s [son] going to end up picking.”
John Calvelli, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for WCS, said the Zoo had been partnering with the Borough President’s Office for 16 years to put on the toy giveaway and honor veterans and their families.
“ It’s our way of saying thank you to those who have served and also to the families because they’re the ones that have really given so much as well,” Calvelli said.
Organizing the giveaway required coordination among the Borough President’s Office, the Bronx Zoo, and sponsors including Lehman College, MetroPlus, and Roadway Moving, one of the city’s top-rated moving companies. Calvelli said it also took a willing staff, who came in several hours earlier to set everything up for the kids and Santa’s arrival.
“ It’s a Saturday in the middle of the holidays, but no one complains, because you know you’re doing it for a good reason,” said Calvelli.
Gibson echoed the sentiment, telling the families that giving is also a gift.
“ This holiday season, I am reminded that we are blessed to be a blessing to others,” she said. “It matters when we extend ourselves to help a family, a child, a veteran, an older adult, someone that may have a disability, someone that may be vulnerable or marginalized. It matters.”
