FRESNO (KMJ) — Personnel from American Ambulance, Fresno Police, and others, spent the early hours of Wednesday morning walking the aisles of Target at Fresno’s River Park to ensure local children in need had a positive Christmas season.
The first responders crowded into the store at 5am to select holiday gifts for approximately 200 local youngsters.
“I shop for two eight-year-old boys,” said Fresno Police Captain Burke Farrah. “One wanted Nerf blasters and the other one wanted a football, soccer ball, and some other stuff. It’s been a lot of fun.”
The money to purchase the presents was donated to the 18th annual “Heroes and Helpers” shopping event by Target, American Ambulance, and Best Tours. Close to $10,000 was spent on everything from doll’s houses, basketballs, and building blocks.
“It’s something we’ve done annually for the last 18 years. We’ve done it in partnership with Fresno PD. It’s one of the things we look forward to doing,” explained American Ambulance Field Operations Director Edgar Escobedo.
“As a company, giving back to the community is incredibly important.”
The gifts were wrapped by volunteers from Minarets FFA, who had traveled from the Oakhurst and Coarsegold area for the event. They were then stacked inside a pair of American Ambulance vehicles and taken to Martin Park shelter and Heaton Elementary School for distribution.
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
