INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - Hundreds of central Indiana families will have a Merry Christmas thanks to one of the largest single shopping sprees ever in our area.
Indianapolis community activist Amp Harris and about half-dozen helpers spent Friday morning buying toys, clothes and other gifts.
They had help, with retail workers filling up dozens of shopping carts at the new Meijer store on North Keystone Avenue.
Harris' goal is to provide toys and gifts for more than 1,100 kids from infants to 10-year-olds. The recipients are identified through local community centers who have asked for help this holiday season.
So far, there are close to 1,200 families on the list. That number is up from last year.
The 2016 Amp Harris Toy & Gift Giveaway will be so much more this year. Harris wants to make sure the children and their families walk away with not only gifts they want and need, but also an unforgettable experience.
"We feed them. They are going to get a gospel choir that sings Christmas Songs," Harris said. "Then we all sit down and it's like date night with the family and then they get to be entertained by some of the local celebrities."
Harris has held fundraisers throughout the year to help raise money for the toy giveaway. One of the reasons he helps is because of his family's struggles while growing up in a single-parent home.
The bill at checkout came to around $18,000. Harris still needs donations to help even more families who are on the waiting lists at community centers around the city. People who want to help those additional families can drop off donations at the Forrest Manor Community Center on East 38th Street.
