Reaching out to twice the amount of children from last year gift-giving Adopt a Bear program, the event managed to hand out 345 gifts to children in San Pedro and Belize City this year. Elated children who would otherwise not receive gifts for Christmas, gathered at the San Pedro Lions Den on Wednesday, December 21, 2016, where the gifts were handed out.
Huge smiles were seen on children’s faces as they got the chance to sit and take a picture with Santa Claus and open their gift. Many received exactly what they asked for thanks to the kind gesture of their sponsors.
For the second year in a row, this project has given island residents and businesses the opportunity to make a child’s Christmas spirit a lot much better.
Children who receive gifts are selected from different organizations throughout the island that included from families who benefit from the Food Bank service, social services and the San Pedro Police Department. This year children from Liberty and King’s Homes in Belize City were added to the program.
Adopt a Bear works whereby a sponsor selects a bear ornament that holds the name and age of a child who personally wrote down his/her gift wish list. Once the bear is adopted, it is up to the sponsors to purchase the gift and wrap to give back to the organization. Luckily most, if not all, got exactly what the child asked for.
Brittney O’ Daniel Founder of the Adopt a Bear Project is pleased with the outcome and hopes next year is better. She wishes to thank volunteers, sponsors and the community.
Visit to Belize City
Belize City children at Liberty & King’s Homes were happy to see Santa and Adapt-a-Bear folks
