The S.M. Wright Foundation today held its 16^th Annual Christmas in the Park event at the Automobile Building at Fair Park. An estimated 30,000 Southern Dallas residents including parents, kids and grandchildren participated in this year’s event.

Families who attended received a hot meal, groceries and household items including furniture and clothing. New this year was a “Coats for Kids” section, where brand new winter coats were handed out to children in need. 13,000 underprivileged kids went home with new bikes and thousands more went home with new toys and books. As part of the Foundation’s Beds for Kids program, 500 children also received new twin bed sets thanks to a donation by Dallas-based Sleep Experts.

“Christmas in the Park is Dallas’ largest holiday charity event,” said S.M. Wright II, President & CEO of the S.M. Wright Foundation. “With the help of over 1,200 volunteers and donations from dozens of caring companies and individuals, we spread joy and hope to thousands of deserving families this holiday season.”     

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings was on hand to see excited children giving their new bikes a test ride, families sitting down to a hot meal and parents loading up groceries to take home.

“Through Christmas in the Park and other programs and resources like Beds for Kids and the South Dallas Resource Center, the S.M. Wright Foundation is enhancing the quality of life for the Southern Dallas community,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. “This event embodies the true spirit of the holiday season – helping out others.”

Volunteers included Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, NFL Hall of Fame Running Back Emmitt Smith, nationally known health and fitness expert Larry North and Dallas civic and business leaders like Ray Washburne, CEO of Charter Holdings and Co-founder of M Crowd Restaurant Group, Doug Deason, President and CEO of Deason Capital Company, and Amy McDaniel, Senior Vice President of Remington Hotels.