48 THE QUEENS COURIER • DECEMBER 22, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM Holidays 2016 Santa and local fi refi ghters visit Bayside children’s hospital to spread holiday joy BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI smonteverdi@qns.com @smont76 A group of big-hearted fi refi ghters from a fi rehouse based in Bayside spread some major holiday cheer to children in the community last week. Members of Engine Company 320 and Ladder Company 167 showed up at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children in Bayside on Th ursday, Dec. 15, with dozens of toys for the kids eagerly awaiting Photos by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS Whitestone residents unite to deliver some holiday toys & cheer to underprivileged kids BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI smonteverdi@qns.com @smont76 Members of the Whitestone community have mobilized to help make a group of children’s holiday season a little brighter. Th e initiative began with a conversation between two Whitestone neighbors: Marco Gomez and Sharon Roberts. Last year, Roberts, a teacher at P.S. 5/369 in Brooklyn for 20 years, worked together with Gomez, a realtor who stays active in the community, to provide eight of her students with Th anksgiving baskets fi lled with holiday dinner essentials. When Gomez asked Roberts if she needed baskets again this year, Roberts sadly had to turn the off er down: the eight students were now in homeless shelters and their families would not be able to cook for the holidays. However, Roberts had another request: if Gomez could fi nd a way to provide over 100 students at the school in kindergarten through fi ft h grade with holiday presents. “Th is was no small task I was asking of him,” Roberts said. Roberts explained that many of the students in the school district are from foster homes, shelters or are displaced and living in families are dealing with monetary struggles. Gomez accepted, and the pair got to work. “We have students on the autism spectrum; we have children with emotional disturbance at the school,” Roberts said. “Th ey all wrote letters to Santa. Th ey have no idea this is coming.” Gomez and Roberts mobilized, taking to social media to spread the word. “Marco posted a video to Facebook on Dec. 9,” Roberts said. “In four days it has gotten over 2,300 views; shared over 400 times. I think I had about 15 to 20 friends requests. It’s been unbelievable.” “A lot of people have stepped up,” Gomez said. “We’re actually gonna be getting these kids what they’re asking for.” Th e duo created a document compiling each student’s wish lists and began accepting donations. In just a few days, dozens of Whitestone residents and businesses contributed money and toy donations to the fund. Dwarf Giraff e Athletic League, a Whitestone-based sports organization, agreed to sponsor 10 of the children. “Th e kids are not asking for Xboxes,” Roberts said. “Th ey’re asking for dolls because they don’t have them. Th ey’re asking for trains because they only get to play with them at school.” Roberts explained that they also accepted coat, glove and hat donations. Th ey asked for volunteers to help wrap the gift s this past Saturday, Dec. 17, and for others to help transport and deliver the gift s before Christmas. “There really is nothing Gomez can’t do,” Roberts said. “We appreciate it more than he’ll ever know. And the kids aren’t going to know what hit them.” their arrival inside. Larger-than-life dogs Hot Dog and Siren — mascots for the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) — and Mr. Met himself also made their rounds at the festive gathering in the hospital’s lobby, high-fi ving and dancing with the children to holiday songs sung by a group of merry carolers. Later, the big red man himself, Santa Claus, arrived at the scene to the cheers of young and old. Aft er greeting the children and handing out toys, Santa led colorful renditions of merry favorites like “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Santa and the carolers then took to the halls of the hospital to visit and sing to patients at their bedside. St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children provides health and quality of life services for children with special needs and life-limiting conditions. It is the largest provider of long-term care for children with complex medical conditions in the state. Photos by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS Santa Claus greets the children at St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children on Dec. 15. Santa Claus greets the children at St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children on Dec. 15.
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