Santa Claus made an early stop in South Tucson this year, bringing holiday joy to 36 families through the South Tucson Fire Department's annual toy giveaway.
Javier Posada attended the event with his granddaughters, calling it a wonderful community gathering where children could meet Santa and receive presents.
"I mean, this is great. I mean, we get to come over and be with friends and families and communities. And my grandkids get to be here and see Santa and get some presents," Posada said.
The South Tucson Fire Department partnered with the Marine Corps League to organize the 20-year tradition, which has become a cornerstone event for local families.
South Tucson Captain Andy Luna described the excitement he witnesses each year as families line up for the toy distribution.
"Well, when they're in the line and you take a look at their faces, they're really excited. They're anxious because they haven't seen what the toys are yet. So you just see a group, a big line of kids and families, and the kids are just really excited to see what they're going to get," Luna said.
The Toy Giveaway is a collaboration between STFD, The Marine Corps League, and Desert Pueblo Retirement Community, who all helped collect toys for the event.
Luna emphasized the department's connection to the community and their commitment to continuing the tradition despite upcoming organizational changes.
"We've been doing this for 20 years, so for 20 years we've got to know a lot of families in the community and they're just grateful every year to come here to get toys to hang out with Santa," he said.
The fire department plans to establish a foundation to ensure the toy giveaway continues serving South Tucson families in future years.
"There's going to be a foundation that's going to come about. And that way we can continue to provide for the families here in South Tucson. I grew up in this community and I know what it feels like to have this kind of Christmas. So it's going to continue," Luna said.
Children left the event with new bikes and other toys, but for families like the Posadas, the greatest gift was spending time together during the holiday season.
"It's just good to be around my family a lot.
And I love spending time with my grandpa," Arianette Posada said. "I love spending time with my family."
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