WORCESTER — Jose DeLeon, 16, loves the game of chess. He’s always wanted a full-sized chess set.
On Thursday, Jose made the right move, picking up a chess set at a toy giveaway at the Great Brook Valley neighborhood. The event was a collaboration of the Worcester Housing Authority and the T&G Santa Fund , which collects donations to help buy toys for children.
The event was the third year in which the Housing Authority, which oversees the Great Brook Valley neighborhood, partnered with Telegram & Gazette, helping at least 500 children, who on Thursday stood in a line that stretched along Freedom Way.
Despite the brisk cold of the afternoon, families waited in line starting as early as 2 p.m. to get a pick of two presents for each child. The youngsters’ laughs and smiles got more intense as Santa Claus, a former Worcester firefighter who in retirement helps out the efforts of the North Pole, invited children with a booming voice to pose with him for photos.
Tonia Warner, 41, said that she wasn’t able to buy her 13-year-old daughter any gifts this year, recalling some financial challenges.