The Bexar County Sheriff’s Department made sure Santa Claus didn’t forget the children of the inmates at the county jail. On Sunday afternoon at the El Progresso Hall on the city’s West Side, 13-year-old Sunshine sat on her new bike.
"I got a raffle ticket when I got here and they called the numbers and I won," Sunshine said.
And she lived up to her name -- she was beaming as she tightly gripped the pink bike with clean white tires and sparkly streamers on the handlebars. Sunshine and her family were attending Sheriff Susan Pamerleau’s holiday party for children of Bexar County inmates.
"Even though their parent or family member may have committed a crime, or is there awaiting trial, the children didn’t do that," Pamerleau said. "And we believe that every child deserves a gift at Christmas."
The entire event was funded by the donations.
For the last month, sheriff’s office employees have been collecting new toys at local shopping centers. This was the first year for the holiday party and Pamerleau said she expects next year to be even bigger.
