Holiday Crawl benefiting Holiday with a Hero takes place Saturday

Downtown Carson City will be crawling with holiday revelers as the first Holiday Crawl benefiting the Holiday with a Hero program takes place Saturday. Tickets for the Holiday Crawl are available at local businesses, including Fingerprinting Express, Caterpillar’s Hookah Lounge, Westside Pour House, and Carson City Visitors Bureau; as well as Carson Fire Station 51, the Carson City Sheriff’s Office and Juvenile Probation. Attendees must be 21 and over.

For the second year, Carson City firefighters, chiefs, staff and administration will join the Carson City Sheriff’s Office, juvenile probation department, and the Nevada Highway Patrol in the annual Holiday with a Hero Christmas shopping program for students in transition.

“Last year, the Carson City Firefighters Association donated to the program, and accompanied students during their shopping trips,” Captain Dan Albee of the Carson City Fire Department said. “We are excited to partner with the Sheriff’s Office again this year.”

Money raised goes to students identified by the Carson City School District and the McKinney-Vento Students in Transition program. Children receive a $100 gift card and are escorted though Walmart by a local emergency responder to shop for gifts for their families.

“Kids are extremely conscious about how the spend the money on their families,” Albee said. “Many were spending the money on family members without purchasing anything for themselves. We wanted to make sure the kids found themselves a gift as well.”

Albee said the program provides immense satisfaction to the volunteers from seeing how it helps the kids feel good about being able to give gifts to their brothers and sisters, moms and dads.

“The hardest part is knowing there are so many kids out there who don’t have the ability to really enjoy the holidays,” he said. “Without this program, they don’t have the ability to share a nice Christmas with their families.”

Carson City firefighter Jason Danen said he was particularly excited to work with Holiday with a Hero program because of the direct interaction with the kids.

“I so moved by the way they would shop for everyone in their family except for themselves,” he said. “We are so honored to have been asked to participate again this year, to make an impact. We just want to do the right thing for the kids in our community.”

Last year the Holiday with a Hero program served 190 children in the Carson-Douglas area. This year, Albee said they are hoping to serve at least 300 and as many as 400 kids to also include older students.

This year the organization is planning the Holiday Crawl, an adults’ night out on the town where $20 buys a wristband and special cup patrons can take to various locations in downtown Carson City for food and drink specials. The event takes place from 6-11 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5.

“We’re trying to help raise money to support the program as it gets bigger and bigger,” he said. “People can get involved by attending the Holiday Crawl, and we can really make it a community event by getting more people to participate by volunteering to help with gift wrapping after the kids have selected their gifts.”

Donations may be dropped off at the Sheriff’s Office or at Carson Fire Station 51, 777 S. Stewart Street, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.