Underprivileged kids in Colton go shopping
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Rob McMillan
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COLTON, Calif. (KABC) -- Generous donations made a special day of shopping possible for underprivileged children in the Colton area.
The call came just after 9 a.m. Tuesday. Police and firefighters responded to the Colton Walmart store with lights and sirens. The call was not for a fire, but rather, for a shopping spree. Each Colton firefighter paired up with an underprivileged child from the area. Each was given a crisp $100 bill, which came from donations made throughout the community.
"This is what Christmas is all about," said one firefighter.
The lists had much more on them than just toys. Some of the children chose sweaters, socks and shoes. Bradley Valentine, 9, added socks and batteries to his cart. He said his father wanted him to take the time to buy what he wanted for Christmas.
"Because we ain't really going to get nothing for Christmas, so he said I got to spend it on me," said Valentine.
The Colton Fire Department has been making Christmas come true for underprivileged children for more than 15 years, and it's become more and more difficult as the economy's gone downhill.
"The families are hurting, and the donations are hurting, so we can't help the families. It just snowballs and so we're trying our best to raise funds," said firefighter Tom Debellis.
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