Santa Claus, Riggs ambulance give seven Merced County families a Christmas surprise

Santa Claus recruited employees of Riggs Ambulance Service as his elves Friday as they helped deliver presents to Merced County families.

Bearing presents wrapped in red and green, Santa posed for photos with children as he spread some holiday cheer.

For more than 10 years, Riggs has given presents to families in need of extra care over the holidays.

With the help of Merced County Community Action Agency, an organization providing services for low-income families, Riggs’s Operation Give Hope provided presents and Save Mart gift cards to seven families.

Sonya Severo, community relations manager for Riggs, described a request from Debbie Ward, who wrote in to ask for assistance in giving her family some Christmas joy.

“I am writing you in desperate need for Christmas,” the letter said. “I am not asking for much. Anything would help. Just to know they got something – anything is better than nothing.”

Severo said Ward, who has custody of her grandchildren, has health issues that make it difficult for her to afford presents. This year, Riggs made sure all of her grandkids had something to open.

Ward’s 7-year-old granddaughter, Erinaeh Thrasher, received toys based on her favorite Disney movie, “Frozen.” Erinaeh’s brother, 10-year-old Eric Thrasher, received a new jacket and shoes.

“They were good gifts,” Eric said. “I liked them.”

All the presents are provided by Riggs employees, Severo said, and are chosen based on suggestions from the families. This year, the most requested presents were clothes to keep the children warm.

“The parents know it’s hard and some can’t provide kids with a Christmas,” Severo said. “(We’re) thankful we can come and help alleviate some of the hardships and provide gifts for their kids.”

Severo said she feels “blessed” to be a part of an organization that is able to give back to the community, and wishes more of the employees who donated gifts were able to see the children’s reactions.

“Usually the kids are superexcited and the parents are very humble,” Severo said. “I believe it’s our social responsibility to support people in the community that support us on a regular basis.”

Riggs didn’t forget about the parents during the holidays, and gave them a gift as well. Tammy Bolser, 47, smiled and hugged the Riggs employees by her Christmas tree in her Merced home after they gave her a gift.

Bolser, who lives with her son, said her cleaning business hasn’t been going well and she has been looking for work. It was “really nice” having some assistance with presents this year, she said, because “I doesn’t usually ask for help.”

“Thank you for helping,” Bolser told Santa and the Riggs employees. “It’s awesome.

This story was originally published December 23, 2016 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Santa Claus, Riggs ambulance give seven Merced County families a Christmas surprise."