Christmas is just five days away, but not every child gets to experience the joy of opening presents on Christmas morning - so teachers and staff at Artemus Ward School in Cleveland reached out to Santa for help!
The students got a big surprise on Wednesday when jolly Saint Nick himself stopped by early to give each student a present.
P.E. Teacher Jeff Szwagulak spearheaded the event.
“I have my parents here, my son here, my brother here. They walk into the classroom as the kids are opening their gifts,” he said.
Mr. Szwagulak was able to raise more than $4,000 to help pay for 550 gifts, but he said he couldn't have done it without the help of his son, who played the Little Elf/Santa’s helper.
He also thanked his family, friends, community donations from their GoFundMe page, the principal, assistant principal and the rest of the staff at Artemus Ward School for their help. He also gave a shout out to several retailers that donated some items, including Target, Walmart and 5 Below.
The Assistant Principal Cory Beets said no child deserves to miss out on Christmas.
“At home, [the students] have a lot of struggles, and I think this is kind of their safe haven and having an opportunity around the holidays. [They] have so much happiness here,” she said.
This is the second year the teachers and staff have put this together for the students. They said they plan to continue the program for years to come, making sure every student has a Merry Christmas.
