Philadelphia Restaurant Owner Gives BIG for Christmas
One restaurant owner in Philadelphia is spreading Christmas cheer by bringing the North Pole to one city street.
Saudi Claus, better known as Saudia Shuler, went all out by putting on the North Philly Christmas Toy Giveaway Wednesday night.
Hundreds of donated toys lined the "fake" snow sprinkled streets along with Christmas trees, giant ice sculptures and even real reindeer.
"I've got over 100 bikes, I have over 500 toys to give away to the kids," Shuler said. "We have power cars, Batman, Robin, Spiderman, we have dolls, we have a whole toy store in here."
The Country Cookin' soul food restaurant owner single-handedly organized the event that drew hundreds of children from all over the city.
"I said let's give them an experience," Shuler said of the children who were waiting in a line that was wrapped about several city blocks. "I just want them to feel things like how my grandmother had us feel."
"I don't want them to have to go to other neighborhoods to see people do things," she told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I want them to know that we can do anything we set our minds to do."
This is not the first time Shuler has given back.
She gave away hundreds of book bags for a back-to-school event in September.
But this season, Shuler said she has good reason to celebrate because she's survived many trials.
"I had a stroke. I had seizures. I had cancer," she said. "All within the last three years."
Her community is grateful for her generosity.
"We don't get this often," one young girl told CBS Philly. "This is probably the first time this ever happened, so it feels good for somebody to care about the community and help people in need."
"I'm so blessed," said Malikah, a volunteer. "This is really just a blessing just to see all this stuff come together, to see all the kids in need and [Saudia] to be able to reach out to the community, it's a wonderful thing."
"She came to my house last year and brought Christmas to my kids," Theresa McCormick, a mother of fraternal twins, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "She takes care of a lot of people."
"She loves her 'hood. She loves her community."
Shuler plans to hold more Christmas events through the weekend.
