MIAMI – Sandy Alcántara, a Dominican professional baseball pitcher, was helping Santa Claus on Monday in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood.
Alcántara was with Billy The Marlin and a team of elves at the LoanDepot Park, at 501 Marlins Way, for an early Christmas gift delivery for kids.
“It’s a special moment for me and for them, you know what I mean? I’m happy to be here,” Alcántara said.
Caroline O’Connor, the president of business operations for the Miami Marlins, said the three dozen children who celebrated with Alcántara were neighbors.
“They just come from two blocks away,” O’Connor said.
Juseff Pubchara, chief executive officer of the Accident Medical Group, a Doral-based company and event partner, said he benefited from the generosity of holiday giveaways as a kid.
“It always stuck with me even to this age, so I think that this is something that’s going to impact them not just today but in the future,” Pubchara said.
On Friday, the 10th annual Big Bus Toy Express collected more than 13,000 gifts and over $33,000 in donations for the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
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