The Catholic Charities of Boston in partnership with the Menino family are distributing presents to nearly 400 families in need.
The event is a tradition originally started by late Mayor Thomas Menino. The toys were collected from local parishes, companies, and individual donors. Held at the Catholic Charities Teen Center at St. Peter’s, members of the Menino Family distributed the gifts along with Teen Center Staff.
Parents say this event takes a huge weight off their shoulders. Thomas Menino Jr., the late mayor’s son, is proud to continue the family’s tradition.
“All he wanted to do is make a kid smile, and as you can see he is going to make a lot of kids happy, and that’s all it was about,” Menino Jr. said. “It wasn’t about big business stuff, it was about little kids. If he could make kids smile, he was happy.”
By the end of the day, 1500 children will have received presents.
