Tribune/Tony Contini - (back row, left to right) Debbie Miranda, Sgt. Anthony Miranda, Brooke Howard, Deputy Kim Vandersyde, Deputy Juan Gomez, (front row) Sophie Miranda and Hannah Flynn take time out of their Sunday to give underprivileged kids on the Corridor, which includes East Fourth, Second, Fifth, Sixth and Mill Streets, a memorable Christmas with candy, cookies and clothes.
Tribune/Tony Contini - One group of volunteers returns from taking toys around town to kids in need of a cheerful Christmas. Eleven-year-old Hunter Conatser, in the center with the red and green hat, called it “the best Christmas ever.”
For Brooke Howard, the return on going out to help one particular boy named Daniel was worth it.
“He gave us a card that said, ‘Thank you for giving me a Christmas,’ ” Howard said.
With trucks, vans and trailers loaded up with clothes, toys, candy and cookies, the Reno Sparks Corridor Business Association (RSCBA) and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) collaborated for their 12th annual Christmas on the Corridor to help give underprivileged children some items to make it a brighter Christmas for them. Howard coordinated the event.
The volunteers covered motels along Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Mill streets in Reno, as well as Denslow Drive and public housing buildings such as Reno Public Housing.
Assistant Sheriff Marshall Emerson, who’s been with WCSO for 18 years, said he’s been involved with the event for as long as he could remember and enjoys seeing looks of appreciation on parents’ faces when the trucks go to the motels or houses.
“We recognize the fact that folks in our community have needs all year long,” Emerson said. “This shows a positive side (of our department).”
For other volunteers, it was an eye-opening experience to see how great the need is for some community members.
Hunter Conatser, 11, said it was “the best Christmas ever” for him.
“It’s really sad because some kids don’t get a Christmas,” he said.
Other boys he worked with said they liked seeing all the “happy, smiling faces” when kids their age received books, stickers, chalk and clothing items such as mittens.
The gifts were given unwrapped so that when they were transported, the adult volunteers could select age-appropriate items. The gifts were donated for all age groups from infants to early teens, Howard said.
Rich Day of Sparks, one of the adults, took part in Christmas on the Corridor for the first time this year and said he plans to come back again next year. He was part of the group that went to Denslow.
“One of the moms started crying,” he said. “It made a difference. ...Seeing their smiles, it was worth it.”
Howard said overall, the event went very well and said compared to its beginning 12 years ago when just cookies and candy were delivered to about 200 kids, Christmas on the Corridor has grown to serve more than 700 with generous donations that include toys. In all, more than 3,000 gifts were provided these year, Howard said.
Bavarian World, near the corner of Sixth Street and Valley Road, the volunteers’ meeting spot, donated the cookies.
“I would like to thank the RSCBA, the WCSO...and all those who gave up their time,” Howard said.
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