Six-year-old Karis Smith is not going to be fussy this Christmas.
When asked what she’s going to tell Santa Claus she wants for Christmas, the young Richton Park resident smiled.
“I want … I don’t want much,” she said. “I just want a big puppet.”
Whether she gets that big puppet will remain to be seen on Dec. 25. In the meantime, she joined hundreds of other children in the fourth running of the Christmas in the Southland program Sunday at the Matteson Community Center.
There were 700 children in need expected to be there and thousands of gifts were taken home by children and adults from Matteson and surrounding communities.
The event is a part of the Christmas in the Wards toy drive. Founder Larry Huggins told the Matteson crowd it’s the second-largest toy drive in the country with Toys for Tots being first. It was scheduled to serve 2,000 children from 700 families this year.
At Matteson, children who were 9 or younger had first dibs on thousands of gift available.
Smith had her eye on a Shine & Style Nail Studio fingernail kit.
“I love getting gifts,” she said. “I got a nail set. Those nails are fake but I’m going to put them on my fingers.”
After the older kids got their shot at the bounty, there was a raffle for people of all ages that included prizes of television sets, Xbox units, computers and bicycles.
One of the first winners was Monica Patterson of Matteson, who slipped and fell as she was excited when the number on her orange ticket was called.
Mickey and Minnie Mouse make a special appearance Sunday at Christmas in the Southland. (Jeff Vorva/for the Daily Southtown)
Patterson chose an Xbox for her three children.
“It’s for the kids, but I’ll probably play it also,” Patterson said. “I appreciate events like this. It’s parents like me who need the extra help. And this helps a lot.”
When the number of Maria Lawson, of Hazel Crest, was called, she made a trip to the bike area and selected one of 50 Huffy bicycles. She planned to give it to her daughter, 9-year-old Taylor Reese.
Lawson appreciated the event.
“It’s awesome,” she said. “It’s wonderful. This is a blessing.”
Village of Richton Park employees dress up as Christmas trees for Sunday’s event in Matteson. (Jeff Vorva/for the Daily Southtown).
The village of Matteson and Rich Township did most of the heavy lifting on this project and had help from various municipalities and governing bodies.
For instance, state Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin’s office donated more than 10 televisions for the raffle.
“This is a valuable asset to the communities and local municipalities,” said Meyers-Martin, an Olympia Fields Democrat. “To be able to provide Christmas presents for families in need, we appreciate the participation and commitment that you see from the public servants and officials.”
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said she was impressed by the longevity of the toy drive.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle speaks to the crowd Sunday at the Christmas in the Southland toy giveaway. (Jeff Vorva/for the Daily Southtown)
“This has been going on for 29 years but in the last four years, local leaders in the Southland have continued it,” she said. “This is one of my favorite times of the year and we can count our blessings.”
Matteson Mayor Sheila Chalmers-Currin said she enjoys walking into the large gymnasium portion of the community center and seeing it filled with toys and presents.
“It makes me feel like being a kid at Christmas again,” Chalmers-Currin said. “We all should feel like that. If we can bring joy to others and make them feel like we felt as kids, we want to do that and continue to do that.”
The mayor remembers some of her favorite childhood presents.
“Ohhh, I remember my first bike and I remember a time when I got this doll that could talk,” she said. “All of those things were exiting and we want to make some kids excited today.”
Rich Township Supervisor Calvin Jordan knows the economy is tough and said this toy drive is more important than ever.
He said he’s had conversations with people who are really hurting and said it’s up to community leaders to spring into action.
“We are all affected by what going on economically,” Jordan said. “I can tell you this, as we started this thing four years ago we wanted to do something not just for Rich Township or Matteson, but we wanted to include the other municipalities, whether it’s Richton Park or Country Club Hills or other areas.
“That’s what it’s all about.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
