HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss. — Christmas morning families affected by this week’s tornadoes hugged each other a little tighter, but waking up with no presents can still be tough on the children.
The Salvation Army and other volunteers did their best to ease the pain.
It’s every little boy or girl’s dream — all the trucks, soccer balls or dolls you could want.
Usually on Christmas morning those toys are excitedly unwrapped. However for Sharon Conner Lucas’ family, their Christmas morning was at the Eddie Smith Multiple Purpose Center in Holly Springs.
Conner Lucas and four of her children hid in a closet when the tornado tore through their home on Rising Star Road in Holly Springs Wednesday afternoon.
“When I heard it I just told them to run,” she said.
Friday morning she and her sons were able to relax a little and take any of the toys they could fit in a bag.
All of the toys were donated by Toys for Tots, Salvation Army and from people in the community.
“We had people still coming in last night at midnight where they had shopped in Pontotoc and other towns bringing toys in,” said Steve Swann with the Red Cross.
Others like Dominique Pegues, who was organizing the toy giveaway, said there’s no place she’d rather spend her Christmas.
“I couldn’t imagine my son going through this right now, I couldn’t imagine. It could’ve been us,” said Pegues.
It wasn’t just about the toys; there were plenty of hugs to go around, too.
While this drizzly Christmas morning isn’t the one Conner Lucas had in mind, she’s still giving thanks.
“It’s just a blessing, and I think God. I thank everybody that’s helping me and my kids,” she said.
Making this Christmas a little brighter.
Organizers of the giveaway said they wanted to help as many kids as they could. Throughout the day they were giving away toys to storm victims then planned to give them to other needy children in the community.