Essex County, N.J., sheriff helps Santa with deliveries of toys, coats
Santa got some help from law enforcement to deliver toys and coats to kids in New Jersey on Friday.
The Essex County sheriff made the deliveries himself less than a week before Christmas, providing much-deserved moments of joy the children won't soon forget.
It's personal for Sheriff Amir Jones, who grew up in Essex County.
"The need is there. We just saw the kids. They were very happy. That's our goal, to put smiles on these kids' faces," Jones said.
Since Santa couldn't make it, the sheriff and a group of officers teamed up with the Grinch to deliver toys to a group of 10 students at the Sheila Oliver Academy in East Orange. It was one of many stops around the county, handing out more than 3,000 toys in total.
"I just want to thank the men and women of this department. It's a labor of love, something that we enjoy doing, they enjoy doing. They go out and purchase these toys," Jones said.
The Essex County sheriff's office started the tradition 33 years ago. This year, they added much-needed warm coats and boots. The toys, though, stole the show.
"It was wonderful. You saw this morning the way these kids, their eyes lit up," Sheila Oliver Academy's principal Dr. Yvy George said. "One child, he said, 'I don't want to be excited. But I'm so excited.' I said, 'Lean into that. Lean into that excitement because this is coming from the heart and you deserve it.'"