Over 500 children were in attendance for this year's Christmas for Kids at the Hot Springs Convention Center with each child leaving with a bag full of toys, fruit and candy.
Retired Judge John Homer Wright said he believed this was the 44th annual event, and he was pleased to see a much larger crowd compared to last year's approximate 150.
"It's a hard thing to estimate, but we believe we have between 500 and 600 kids today. ... It was a nice increase," he said. "This is the kind of crowd where we have just enough things to go around, and it's a more rewarding experience when you have this many people."
Following a welcome by Wright and a prayer by the Rev. Douglas A. Jones, the doors were opened, allowing the crowd to enter for a hot dog, chips and drink while "Mustang" Sally Simpson and Mike Chais sang and played guitars.
Scott Davis held a short magic show for the attendees, bringing lots of laughs while making items disappear and reappear or turning torn paper into a hat.
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Wright said there were approximately 70 volunteers on hand to help with the day's activities.
"We have people that contribute that aren't here today," he said. "Our contribution list is about 60 or 70 people, and then some of them will come in on the event day, and some of them aren't able to. We have people that this is their contribution is working the event. So I think altogether we probably have 100, 110 people that help us put this on."
Wright said each child got one large item in their bag of toys, which were filled with plenty of other toys and treats.
"We have two (big) items -- kind of boy and girl items," he said. "We try to give everybody one of those. Then we have a bunch of small items, probably 10 to 12 different things. Then we have candy and nuts and fruit."
All of the items given away come from donations the organizers receive throughout the year.
"We really take monetary contributions, and then we buy toys," he said. "We don't ask our kids to take hand-me-down stuff. We want them to get new stuff. The bikes are new."
There are many people who return for the event year after year, and Wright said it was heartwarming to see some familiar faces Wednesday morning.
"I spoke to four people that I have seen in years past today," he said. "One, I know has been here 15 times, and he is an older gentleman, wasn't here in his younger days. This is just rewarding to have the continuity in the community that this seems to generate."
Santa, portrayed by Ty Arni, asks a child what they want for Christmas during Christmas for Kids at the Hot Springs Convention Center on Wednesday. - Photo by Lance Porter of The Sentinel-Record
Brynnleigh Shirley gets on a new bike she won in a raffle during Christmas for Kids at the Hot Springs Convention Center on Wednesday. - Photo by Lance Porter of The Sentinel-Record