Massive toy giveaway brings merry Christmas to 500 needy Raleigh families
The line of eager-eyed children stretched out the door, all of them craning their necks to get a look at Batman, Barbie and Sonic the Hedgehog.
As far as they could see, the tables offered piles of toys for them to choose — three apiece, no cheating. And when they collected their new treasures, they got a hot turkey lunch and a free haircut, all courtesy of Santa.
“It means a lot,” said Briana Debnam, toting her three kids and their two cousins. “It takes this event to have a good Christmas. Everything is so high-priced, some people can’t even afford gifts.”
For the 27th straight year, Raleigh’s Lost Sheep Outreach Ministry held a massive toy giveaway in the gym at St. Augustine’s University, packing in more than 500 needy families looking to bulk up their Christmas stockings.
The ministry collected more than 3,000 toys, mostly from Wal-Mart and Toys for Tots, through donations totaling more than $13,000. For the Rev. Phil Brickle, the ministry’s founder, it is an annual reminder of the size of Raleigh’s underprivileged population.
“The need is great,” he said, checking on hot lunches. “We do the shopping, so we know what it costs. It is incredibly high.”
All around the gym, tables stood piled with footballs, Frisbees, Monopoly games, Peppa Pig backpacks and Star Wars Sith starfighters — not to mention a table of books, including the complete “Chronicles of Narnia” in a boxed set.
Outside, Alton Mitchell led a team of barber trainees he instructs at Wake Tech, offering free cuts to spruce up for Christmas pictures. Over Saturday, he expected to trim 100 heads.
“I’d say flat-tops are the hardest,” he said. “But they’re skilled with clippers and shears. We teach facial muscles, anatomy, business ... it’s like going back to high school.”
Inside, crowds of kids waited in the bleachers for their sections to be called and their tickets to be shown. Before Brickle turned them loose, he called for a rousing cheer of thanks, receiving only mild applause.
“I know that I can get a more exuberant holler,” he scolded. “Can you get on your feet, give thanks to Jesus and act like you mean it? Act like you mean it!”
And the room went wild.