After being laid off from her full-time job at a local grocery store, Sparks resident and single mother Jeanette Walsh was not going to be able to buy her daughter any Christmas gifts this year.  Walsh’s daughter, Alicia, was one of 1,400 school children in the area who were given gifts as part of Fourth Street Christmas on the Corridor on Saturday.  The event was put on by the Reno Sparks Corridor Business Association and the Washoe County Sheriff’s Department.

Alicia looked through the goodie bags and picked out a hat and some mittens.

“We are all part of one community and we should try to support everyone,” sheriff’s deputy Lisa Haney said.  “This helps to show that everyone does count.”

Haney helped distribute the gifts and winter gear to children at Alice Maxwell Elementary School in Sparks. Gifts were given out at 10 different schools in Reno and Sparks and Haney said nearly 100 bags were given out at Alice Maxwell. 

“This is the first time that Christmas in the Corridor has been expanded into schools,” Haney said.  Previously, Christmas in the Corridor was an event where candy, cookies and toys were distributed to children in need who live on the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth street corridors of Reno. 

Throughout the year, the sheriff’s department collected gifts and donations to give to children in need. 

“We raised around $7,000 to buy gifts and on Black Friday, some of the staff went to Walmart to get some of the jackets and hats,” Haney said. 

This is the 13th year that Christmas in the Corridor has taken place.  The sheriff’s department staff loaded the gifts into a trailer to pass out to the children on Fourth, Fifth and Sixth streets. 

“A lot of these kids wouldn’t get anything if it weren’t for this,” said Brooke Howard with the sheriff’s department. 

Howard coordinated the event, which attracts a lot of community support, she said. 

“This is a time when we really see everyone in the community coming together to help others,” Howard said.  “Seeing the smiles on the kid’s faces makes it all worth it.”

Walsh, who is currently seeking a new job, said she hopes to be able to donate next year and give back to the program that is helping her this Christmas. 

“I saw that Alicia kind of lit up when she looked into those bags, and I’m so grateful I live somewhere where other people are looking out for us,” Walsh said. 

In total, 2,500 local children were given an array of candy, toys, jackets and hats.