16th annual Joy of Giving Celebration in Tampa

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Published  December 21, 2024 5:29pm EST
FOX 13 News
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Joy of Giving celebration

FOX 13's Kailey Tracy was at the event where thousands of families received gifts.

TAMPA - An annual tradition of giving gifts to thousands of families during the holidays returned on Saturday.

WWE legend Thaddeus Bullard, aka Titus O’Neil, and the Bullard Family Foundation hosted the sixteenth annual Joy of Giving Celebration at the Thaddeus M. Bullard Academy at Sligh Middle Magnet School in Tampa.

Joy of Giving Celebration at the Thaddeus M. Bullard Academy at Sligh Middle Magnet School in Tampa.

More than 5,000 families from Sligh, Foster Elementary and other schools shopped for free presents, food and other gifts. Santa and his elves gave out close to 19,000 gifts.

"It’s very meaningful," Barbara Ryals, who was there with her granddaughter, said. "My grandchildren, they mean the world to me, and something like this is what they really need to be around and stuff. And I just I can't thank these people enough because that's very helpful," she said.

The event kicked off with a Gasparilla-style parade at 9:01 a.m. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister was the Grand Marshal.

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"I want to keep paying it forward and keep seeing smiles on people’s faces," O’Neil said. "I was insignificant at a point in my life, and now I'm at a point where it's all about significance. It's not about success for me. I've done everything. I've done everything that I put my mind to. Now, it's about me continuing to leave a legacy," he said.

O’Neil says if it weren’t for the investments of so many in his life … he wouldn’t be where he is today and wants to pay it forward.

Some volunteers on Saturday said they were inspired because they were once in these families’ shoes.

"When I lost my job or when I didn't have anything for my boys, I was able to have help here from the Bullard Family Foundation for them to help me with these things for the holidays," Tiffany Poole said. "So, being on the receiving end when he was at the stadium and also now volunteering over three years has been a blessing to my family because it makes my heart feel so much joy to see them happy," she said.

"It’s personal. They helped me during a time when I couldn’t provide the things, the toys that I needed for my boys," Poole said.

Joy of Giving Celebration at the Thaddeus M. Bullard Academy at Sligh Middle Magnet School in Tampa.

The foundation also gave out gifts like brand-new TVs and Beats headphones to the winners of the dance-offs. A spoiler, though, there were several ties.

The toys were donated by the Bullard Family Foundation, sponsored by Fran Haasch Law Group, Love, Tito’s and Amazon.

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