Christmas in the Wards returns, making holiday dreams come true for hundreds of Chicago children
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The North Pole has a temporary new home now setup inside McCormick Place bringing some holiday cheer ahead of the big day.
Now in its 27th year, Christmas in the Wards is making holiday magic and dreams come true for the first time since 2019 for 1,200 children and hundreds of families.
Construction executive Larry Huggins is the man responsible for organizing this grand Christmas celebration.
Across the city, a lot of children need joy, need happiness, and this is a way to give back to themAld. Ruth Cruz
"Words can't express how I feel about this event," said Huggins. "There was a time where I used to cry. But since I've been doing this so much, I see them cry."
A gift that keeps on giving.
"When you look at Walmart and Amazon and NASCAR and all those corporations, Target, that understand the importance of giving back, they step up to the plate to make all this happen," said Huggins.
Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle and alderpeople from across the city were elves, so to speak, distributing thousands of Christmas gifts to children.
"It's extremely something I'm grateful for because our kids need cheer," said Ald. Lamont Robinson, 4th Ward. "A lot of families are struggling right now."
"Across the city, a lot of children need joy, need happiness, and this is a way to give back to them - to say there is a Christmas," said Ald. Ruth Cruz, 30th Ward.
From laptops to bikes, TVs, gaming consoles and more, Christmas in the Wards is spreading holiday cheer one child at a time.
"It's going to really help me with school, I could see what it has, maybe drawing, because I really like drawing," said Ashley Castañeda.
Castañeda is a ninth grader in the 30th Ward and aspires to be a medical doctor when she grows up.
She said the laptop will help her reach her dreams.
"It will help me investigate a lot of things, maybe about health, illnesses," said Castañeda. "How to help other people because I really care about people."
Christmas might be more than a week away but who says it can't come early in Chicago.
