Firefighters, Store Step Up to Save Hampton Girl's Christmas

This time of year is filled with countless wishes in all sorts of shapes and forms, from non-material requests to children asking for the latest and greatest must-have toys under their Christmas trees.

But what happens when one of those children doesn't have a Christmas tree for those gifts?

Firefighters and employees at a local store recently stepped up in a big way to help prevent a Hampton girl and her family from finding out the answer to that question, as they delivered a truck filled with hundreds of dollars in Christmas decorations, toys, and — of course — a real tree.

Buck Frost, a Hampton firefighter who plays a lead role in organizing holiday toy bank efforts by the Hampton Fire Department and fire departments in the Greater Seacoast area, said a 7-year-old Hampton girl "always" asks the Hampton Firefighters Toy Bank for a real Christmas tree each year because she "loves real trees."

The toy bank usually partners with a North Hampton man to make that wish come true, although the usual donor unfortunately didn't have any trees this year.

Frost went to Home Depot in North Hampton on Dec. 18 to see if employees could help remedy the unforeseen shortage, and he ended up leaving the store with much more than just a tree.

The business also donated and wrapped lights, ornaments, decorations, a train to go around the tree, a tree skirt, a 6-foot-tall inflatable Santa decoration, a 6-foot-tall inflatable Frosty the Snowman decoration, extension cables to connect the lights and decorations, and a gift card to the Shaw's supermarket next door so the family could buy items for a Christmas dinner.

Frost brought all of the items over to the Hampton family's home that day, and he said the family's reaction is a perfect reminder of why he and other firefighters run the toy bank every year.

"The toy bank is always a busy and stressful thing to do, but there's always [something] that really, really makes you feel good about what you're doing," said Frost. "When I showed up with the truck... [the mother] screamed out the door, 'Did you get the tree?' I said, 'I did.' She started jumping up and down when I told her I just had the tree. When I showed her the other stuff, she was in tears. It was amazing.

"They blew up either the Frosty or the Santa in the house so when [the daughter] got off the bus, she walked in and saw that thing and the tree in the living room. [The daughter] was overwhelmed... They opened everything that night and have been decorating the house the last couple of days. They've texted me and called me to tell me they can't thank me enough."

The toy banks usually get a lot of support from local businesses and fundraisers in order to annually help around 70 to 80 families and 200 to 220 children in Hampton alone.

Frost said Home Depot's gesture was "definitely a surprise," though, as the size and — more importantly — the spirit of the donation was an "exceptional event" that they "don't see... very often."

Bill Batchelder, the manager of the North Hampton store, said the gesture is what Home Depot is "all about" and that they make similar efforts with local individuals throughout the year. He said the store and its employees really wanted to help out in this instance, though, in order to make sure the family — whose basement recently flooded — had everything they needed.

"The value [of the items donated] is really not what we’re doing," said Batchelder. "That’s the best part, because it’s priceless to that little girl.

"We have values that we live by, and when someone is in need we do what we can to help. We want to make sure we go above and beyond and make sure that little girl's Christmas dreams are met. We thought, 'Maybe if they can't afford the tree, maybe they couldn't afford all of the lights and that good stuff, too.'"

Frost said he and other members of the toy bank "couldn't appreciate" the support of local businesses and residents "more" because it's "all about the kids and it's great."

Recipients of the Hampton toy bank can pick up their gifts and items this afternoon at Hobbs House.

Frost said they are always seeking donations for the cause, especially gift cards or money to purchase gift cards for adolescents because most of the toys and items donated cater to infants and young children.

More information about the toy bank is available by contacting the Hampton Fire Department at 926-3316.