Guest guest Posted December 28, 2001 Report Share Posted December 28, 2001 Fire department makes late Christmas delivery - Top Stories Friday, December 28, 2001 Fire department makes late Christmas delivery Inspiration: Letter to Santa moves firefighters to grant child's wish. BY ANTHONY CASKEY The Brownsville Herald Christmas might not always arrive on Dec. 25. Sometimes it takes a little longer. That is what one Brownsville family discovered Thursday when a Brownsville Fire Department engine company pulled up to their East Madison Street home with sacks full of toys for the family's children. Firefighters who delivered the presents said a day or two after Christmas, Fire Capt. Mendez found a letter to Santa Claus written by 8-year-old Yesenia Palomares. According to older sister Yazmin, a freshman at Pace High School, Yesenia penned the letter at her school. " She (Yesenia) just came home from school, and she told us, 'Mom, I wrote to Santa Claus,' " Yazmin, 15, said. The handwritten note - decorated with flowers, stars, Christmas trees and snowmen - requested gifts for her brother, sisters and parents. " Dear Santa Claus, " Yesenia wrote, " I know you must be busy now but I have a favor to ask. " Yesenia explained that her mother has been ill and times have been hard. " My small Christmas tree is sad and I want to ask if you could please visit our home, " she wrote. Her wish list included a little kitchen with dishes, a Nintendo and some tennis shoes for herself. A coloring book and Barbie doll for her sister. For her brother, 7-year-old Guadalupe, she requested some tennis shoes, a jacket and some Hot Wheels. For her older sister, Yazmin, some boots and clothes. In closing, she asks for gifts for her mother and father then includes her address and phone number, noting, " Thank you Santa, call me and we'll be waiting at our house for you. Feliz Navidad. Merry Christmas. " The girls' mother, , didn't know what to do with the letter, but little sister Jocelyn, 4, did. " She (Jocelyn) said, 'You can take it over to the fire department, because Santa Claus lives there,' " Yazmin explained. So the family delivered the letter to the fire department, hoping it would reach Santa in time for Christmas. " I think the letter got shuffled into our paperwork, " firefighter Ben Nuñez Jr., son of Brownsville Fire Marshal Ben Nuñez, said. Capt. Mendez found the letter and presented it to Engine Company 1 Thursday morning to see if something could be done for the family. The firefighters prepared four bags of toys - three for girls and one for a boy, and headed to the Palomares residence to deliver the belated Christmas gifts. The Palomares family was overjoyed. " We are very surprised, " said. " I didn't think they would receive the letter my daughter wrote . We are really thankful to them for the attention they gave to my daughter's letter. " " On (Dec.) 25, they (the children) didn't celebrate that much, " Yazmin said. But they did on Dec. 27. " They were a little shy around us, " Nuñez Jr. said. When the firefighters began to leave, the children started to come out of their shells. " We were looking back and they were pulling out the toys, " he said. " Their faces lighted up, " Lt. Geronimo Sheldon said. " It feels good when you see a kid appreciate something. " Home Page Top Stories Sports Entertainment Education Community Opinions Features Events Classifieds Obituaries Weather Archives Subscribe Staff Contact Us World News Valley News RGV.com Discussion The Brownsville Herald 1135 E. Van Buren Brownsville, TX 78520 1- Note: Only selected stories from The Brownsville Herald Newspaper are published on the Internet. To get complete coverage please subscribe to The Brownsville Herald by clicking here. The entire content of BrownsvilleHerald.com, including its logotype, are fully protected by copyright and registry and cannot be reproduced in any form for any purpose without written permission from The Brownsville Herald. © 2000 The Brownsville Herald ... Search: Herald Web Join our mailing list for Daily Headlines! subscribe unsubscribe Send this page to a friend! Click here to make The Brownsville Herald your homepage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.