Hundreds of people got gifts, clothes and food for Christmas and an appearance by WWE’s Titus O’Neil led to one family getting a brand new car at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center on Dec. 19.
Santa cruised into town early Saturday morning, spreading holiday cheer to hundreds at the annual Santa Sled Festival.
This is the 18th year Plant City Black Heritage has hosted the Santa Sled Festival, but its venue has never looked better. For the first time, the event was held at the Sadye Gibbs Martin Community Center and folks lined the front lawn, many bringing their own chairs and blankets, to settle in for the festive event.
“It’s wonderful to have this here at the community center,” Sharon Moody, event coordinator, said. “We’ve got a lot of room and this location means a lot to our community.”
The event ensures local families have the ability to provide a festive Christmas by providing free gifts, clothes and food for those who attend. Moody said that this is one of her favorite events each year and that more than 400 people attended Saturday’s festival.
“Organizations come together from all over the community to help us provide toys, bikes, clothes, groceries and other items for families so that these kids get to have something special for them under the tree on Christmas,” Moody said
The sponsors and partners for the event were: City of Plant City, C&S Grocers, Star Distribution Systems, Kiwanis Club of Plant City, Winn-Dixie, Billy Herold, Spirit Soul and Body Home Care LLC, Plant City Housing Authority, Plant City Colts, Stingray Chevrolet, Thaddeus Bullard Foundation, Feeding Tampa Bay and Staples.
Five families were also sponsored by employees at C&S Grocers. Those families received a special set of gifts and were highlighted at the start of the event.
But the surprise didn’t stop there. Plant City Stingray Chevrolet owner Steve Hurley walked out of the community Center tailed by none other than WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil. They casually leaned against a pole under the overhang while Moody presented the gifts to the five sponsored families before she passed the mic over to Hurley.
Hurley expressed his adoration of this event each year and said there was one more big surprise ahead. He introduced O’Neil, who shared his story of growing up with a single mother who struggled to make ends meet.
He talked about his childhood, how he had been told he was going to end up in jail and that he had no future. He remembers firsthand what it was like to have to battle to put food on the table and keep the bills paid, so when he grew up he made it his mission to give back every chance he gets. It’s a promise he’s kept for the past several years.
O’Neil, who came to fame in the squared circle, became a cherished name on the lips of families across the region. With his assistance, lives have literally been changed as he continues to make it his mission to bless others in his community.
For the past few years he has had a partnership with Hurley to seek out families that need a little extra help.
Justine Fuerst, one of the five selected for the special partnership from C&S Grocer employees, heard her name called from the microphone. O’Neil and Hurley gestured to the loop at the end of the sidewalk where a red Chevrolet Malibu LT, adorned with a massive red bow, was parked.
They explained that Wheels of Success, the Bullard Family Foundation (@bfftampa) and Stingray Chevrolet had come together to gift Fuerst a new car. She was in utter shock. Fuerst had worked in a job for seven years but was laid off due to COVID-19 in March. Her vehicle caught fire in September and she has been without transportation ever since.
As her kids climbed through the back seat and checked out their new ride, Fuerst looked at the group and simply said, “I’m just really thankful right now, you don’t… I can’t even express how thankful I am.”
After the presentation, Moody took the microphone back over and began handing out the gifts to the rest of those gathered. Many local youth also got to pedal away on their new bicycles. For some, it’s a wonderful gift they’ll cherish and play with for years to come. For others those bikes act as their primary mode of transportation to and from school.
It’s one of the most anticipated parts of Santa Sled Fest every year and the smiles on the children’s faces when their numbers were drawn for a bike are a sight the volunteers will cherish until next year when they start the process all over again.
With COVID-19 playing such a detrimental role on the finances of families across the country Santa Sled Festival and other similar events are seeing a drastic increase in demand from families that need extra assistance.
Long after the presentations were complete the kids lingered to talk to O’Neil, play with their friends and try to guess what toys were within the intricate wrapping paper.
It was another successful year and inarguably set the bar high for Santa’s next trip to town.
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