Brunswick County’s Toys for Tots brought Christmas early for Boiling Spring Lakes families

"It's hard to believe how the town and the people who came out to help these kids- to make sure they had the Christmas they deserve."

BRUNSWICK COUNTY (WWAY)–It’s never too early for Santa Claus, even if the date says December 18th.

However, on Wednesday, the Brunswick County U.S. Marine Corps Reserve “Toys for Tots” dropped off a number of toys for kids, including bikes and scooters.

Santa is arriving a week early this Christmas, making sure everyone in Boiling Spring Lakes gets to experience the joy of the holidays. The joy that these kids and little Millie Braden have that the holiday brings.

“It’s been very overwhelming, having everyone come together and help us out,” Tiffany Braden said.

Thanks to the Toys for Tots program, this Christmas came in a big way– with the help of some special visitors.

“It’s beneficial this year, with everything coming out of pocket like how it came out of pocket,” Seth Braden said.

It’s been a challenging few months for the Bradens, who lost a lot from Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight. The storm left them with more than physical repairs, but repairs to the comfort of the holiday season.

“We’ve all been scrambling and trying to figure out how we are going to fix things and get back to some normalcy,” Tiffany said.

However, if it wasn’t for their neighbor Jerry Damora, who wrote to the program about the Bradens, this special moment wouldn’t be possible.

“Today gave me hope in humanity,” Damora expressed. “It’s hard to believe how the town and the people who came out to help these kids- to make sure they had the Christmas they deserve.”

“We are expecting over 450 families, and probably that’ll represent 1,500 families in our Brunswick County community. It’s a miracle of a family and community coming together,” Rosey Shoudy said.

So, you might say it was a magical moment, one that felt like it came straight from a holiday storybook. However, the smiles on their faces are proof that the holidays, even after a disaster, can still be magical.

“The best part is that even though we’re going through this and trying to get some normalcy back is that we have been able to have it here,” Tiffany said.

In addition to damaging many homes in Boiling Spring Lakes, “Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight” also caused damage across Southern Brunswick County and Southern New Hanover County — impacting Southport, Carolina Beach, and Bolivia.