KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Some metro kids will have presents under the tree this Christmas thanks to local firefighters.
Saturday they wrapped up hundreds of gifts for children without a home.
“I feel like these kids especially the ones that are moved every year from different houses they’re always wondering if Santa is going to find them and we are their Santa,” said founder Sherill Burnell, who started the present program 25 years ago.
For the past two and a half decades Burnell, her husband and dozens of Kansas City Missouri Firefighters have been ensuring every child knows they’re cared for at Christmas.
“We just want the kids to have a good Christmas,” said firefighter Matt Tuder, who helps organize the annual event. “We’ve served over 13,000 kids over the 25 years and it’s just a good way to carry on the tradition and teach our own families good lessons.”
Each firefighter shops for a child living in a group home here in the metro. Every child gets gifts, pajamas, clothes, socks and a coat. Saturday they helped Santa out by wrapping it all up.
“We have one mission and that’s to show them that somebody cares,” said Burnell.
Firefighters never see the children. They deliver the gifts to the Jackson County Division of family services Sunday who then pass out the gifts.