Dozens of children in Hamtramck received an extra dose of holiday magic when music producer and Detroit Electrifyin' Filthy Rockwell and his nonprofit Filthy Cares delivered gifts door-to-door as part of their 7th annual Adopt-A-Block Christmas giveaway.
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The surprise visit included a special guest – "Detroit Santa" – who knocked on doors throughout a Hamtramck neighborhood, hand-delivering presents to families.
"I've never seen Santa before and that was the first time he came and gave me a gift," Kingston Carter said.
Santa said the experience was rewarding for everyone involved.
"People love Santa and every kid wants to open a toy on Christmas Day. So it makes you feel amazing that Filthy Cares has an opportunity to do this," Detroit Santa said.
For Rockwell, the annual tradition stems from his own childhood experiences during the holidays.
"My house would be decorated but sometimes I didn't get gifts and sometimes I didn't get the gifts I wanted," Rockwell said.
Those memories motivated him to create the Adopt-A-Block program through his charity Filthy Cares, where he, Santa, and volunteers give back to communities during the holidays.
"Sometimes I might ride around and find a neighborhood, some of my friends might know people in neighborhoods, sometimes it might be a neighborhood I was close to or grew up in," Rockwell said.
Bernard Taylor, whose family received gifts through the program, expressed gratitude for the effort.
"It's really a blessing for a lot of kids for real, because a lot of kids aren't as fortunate as others. So it's really a blessing," Taylor said.
Rockwell said the generous donations that make the event possible allow him to create meaningful moments for children and families.
"It means everything. I mean to bring Santa to a kids neighborhood and see the kids run and go hug Santa, it's the most amazing thing in the world," Rockwell said.
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