Detroit Pistons players, dozens of volunteers and Santa Claus created a festive environment in the Eastern Market on Tuesday.
Since 2009 Pistons owner Tom Gores has been donating thousands of gifts to the Marine Toys for Tots foundation. This year that included roughly 5,000 toys and nearly 1,500 bikes for families in Detroit.
He doubled down the efforts with a large giveaway in Flint one day earlier.
“Today it’s a great blessing to receive these things,” said LaQuetta Davis, a mother of three. “A little earlier I lost my job so things are tight at the moment, so just to be blessed with these things, it makes me happy. I know they’re going to be happy.”
Davis got a little extra cheer from one-time Piston Earl “The Twirl” Cureton. He walked her through aisle after aisle of thousands of toys giving her advice on what toys to get her kids.
“I think I have more fun than they do,” joked Cureton, who pointed out he made sure Davis picked up a basketball for her boy.
This event helps more than 500 families, most like the Davis family, are going through a surprising hardship. It’s why Tom Gores has been working with Toys for Tots to put on events like this. His cousin, Tanya Van Horn, showed up at Tuesday’s giveaway to oversee the toys being given away.
She said it melts her heart to see the families get the help they need.
“We believe that each and every child deserves to open a present on Christmas, and that’s something that’s always been important to our family,” said Van Horn.
Gores has even spread that message to his current basketball players. Second-year forward Stanley Johnson and backup point guard Ish Smith were among those helping families pick out gifts.
Smith told 7 Actions News that they hopped in a car immediately after practice to make sure they could be in place to help families.
“It’s a blessing, it really is,” said Smith. “This time of the season you really put into perspective why God really has you here, you know? You’re here for a specific reason. To see the smiles and to be a blessing to other people, that’s why we do these things.”
Both Smith and Johnson held giant bags full of toys and walked a pair of mothers through the area where toys were being stores. Smith said he tried to help pick out gifts, but quickly realized the family’s already had some ideas in mind.
“I got out of the way and let them do their thing,” he said, smiling. “I gave a little advice, but for the most part I can tell they know what they want.”
A spokesperson for Gores said that after this recent campaign, they’ve given away an estimated 92,000 gifts over the past decade. Those toys have gone to more than 30,000 children during the Christmas season.
When he started the campaign it was in secrecy, but these days he attaches his name to the effort in hopes that it leads to others joining in with contributions of their own.
Davis said she’s not sure how the hundreds of other families feel, but she was certain that this will change her family’s outlook this Christmas.
“If you can see the smile on my face, you’ll probably see their back teeth they’ll be smiling so hard.”
