Santa’s ‘elves’ brighten Christmas for local families

Christmas came early for several local families thanks to Maricopans’ generous contributions to a community “angel tree” program (see “Fry’s, 85239 soliciting Christmas gifts for needy“).

Fry’s Marketplace General Manager Ishamel Ortiz and inmaricopa.com staff members Melissa Boyle, Stacy Deprey-Purper and Laura Sawyer distributed Christmas presents to six needy families yesterday.

The Rodriguez family, which has five children ages four-months-old to nine-years-old, was one of the beneficiaries. When Ortiz and Deprey-Purper showed up at their Senita home, their Christmas tree was totally void of presents.

“We got a lot of ‘Wow!’, ‘Is that for me!’ and ‘Really?’ type comments, Deprey-Purper said. “The five-year-old boy shouted at the top of his lungs: ‘I think it’s a football!'”

Deprey-Purper and Ortiz claimed to be Santa’s elves and said they came early with Santa’s blessing – and because the boys and girls were good this year.

inmaricopa.com and many anonymous residents bought a total of 96 gifts – including a new bicycle, crib, clothes, electronics and Hanna Montana dolls – for the six needy families.

After her family received gifts, one woman tearfully said, “My daughter has Cerebral Palsy, my grandmother has Alzheimer’s and we are all under one roof. We would not have had a Christmas if it wasn’t for the generosity of Fry’s and 85239. God Bless all of you and a very merry Christmas!”

Photos by Melissa Boyle and Bonnie Mason