FRESNO, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – A line in front of Downtown Fresno’s Chukchansi Park formed up as early as 3 p.m. with families hoping to get free Christmas gifts. Despite the cold, the children waiting patiently say their toys were worth the wait.
Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias says his office partnered with local stores to provide free toys – and local food vendors provided free champurrado and churros.
“I got a Nerf gun,” said 7-year-old Nathan. “That’s kind of like a paintball gun which is what I want for actual Christmas, but this is similar to a paintball gun!”
“I got one of these!” 4-year-old Zaila said as she held up a magnetic toy.
“I got a Spiderman toy!” 7-year-old Mateo told YourCentralValley.com.
Arias also handed out 300 free tickets to the Downtown Fresno Ice Rink throughout the line.
Organizers say they understand the financial strain Christmas can have on some families in Fresno and the toy giveaway is just a small way to give back to the community and families.