Mayor Helps Make Christmas Easier for South Side Children
Mayor Helps Make Christmas Easier for South Side Children
BY WENDELL HUTSON
Contributing Writer
The 23rd Annual Christmas in the Wards event got a boost this year from Mayor Lori Lightfoot who took one first grader Christmas shopping at Walmart in Pullman.
During the shopping spree, the mayor said she loves to see the children smiling and having fun and not having to worry about life situations meant for adults. As she helped one kid at Walmart do his Christmas shopping, the mayor added this “little guy” knows what he wants and doesn’t want, and “surprisingly” it wasn’t video games.
Walking up and down the aisles with the mayor was Carreon Scott, 7. The first grader said he thought it was “cool” that the mayor took him Christmas shopping. “I’m not into video games much,” Scott said. “I’d rather have lots and lots of clothes, something I don’t have right now.”
Afterwards, Scott said the mayor was a “cool” lady. “I like the mayor. She’s a nice lady who took her time helping me find what I wanted for Christmas, and I didn’t feel rushed or anything,” recalled Scott, adding he wished he could have gotten a dart gun. “I tried to put a gun in my cart, but the mayor said ‘we don’t do guns,’ so I had to put it back.”
According to Larry Huggins, a co-founder of the organization, 1,500 children participated in the event this year where they received $250 worth of free gifts from bikes, flat screen TVs to clothes, video games and board games.
“All this was made possible through donations from sponsors, businesses and the community, who all came together for this special cause,” said Huggins. “The smiles you see from these kids as they go shopping is priceless and makes all our efforts well worth it.”
About $260,000 in cash was donated to the event, “but when you factor in the in-kind services we received, the total comes to around $400,000,” added Huggins.
Wanda Scott, great-grandmother of Scott, accompanied him as he searched for items to place in his cart.
“Now grandma don’t have to spend as much money for Christmas,” Wanda Scott jokingly said. “This is a wonderful event that is well needed in the black community and I just hope more kids can benefit next year.”
Aldermen Carrie Austin (34th), Michelle Harris (8th) and Walter Burnett Jr. (27th), whose wards are among the 23 wards covered by the annual event, all attended the Dec. 19 kickoff.
Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), whose ward includes the Walmart, was absent from the event and was unavailable for comment.
Huggins, Everett Rand and his twin brother Tim, three entrepreneurs, founded Christmas in the Wards as well as the Chicago Football Classic, an annual football game between two historically black colleges every September at Soldier Field.
The mayor also said events like this one helps define what holidays are all about.
“Christmas is about community, family and loving each other,” said Lightfoot. “Bringing joy to a child is a genuine expression of love.”
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