Thousands in Colorado Springs take part in annual Bob Telmossé Christmas Giveaway
It was 1989 when Debbie Bothwell first heard about a holiday giveaway and decided to donate.
The event, started by Colorado Springs businessman Bob Telmossé, began six years earlier and attracted hundreds of people in need during the holiday season.
“It looked so amazing and I just stayed,” Bothwell said. “And I just kept coming back.”
Saturday was the 33rd annual Bob Telmossé Christmas Giveaway, and Bothwell was like many of the volunteers making final preparations before thousands of people were let into the Mortgage Solutions Financial Expo Center.
Some volunteers said they were inspired by the generosity of Telmossé, who died in 2006. Others said they kept coming years after family members first brought them to help out. And a few, such as pediatric dentists and emergency personnel, donated their skills to aid those waiting in line.
People were lined up outside hours before the doors opened at about 8:45 a.m., and volunteers handed out blankets, gloves and hats.
The giveaway allows children up to age 17 to pick a book, stuffed animal and toy plus get a wrapped gift for their caregiver. Some were able to select one of the more than 800 bikes donated.
Dogs were shepherded around to kids, who clamored to pet them. Dental screening exams also were available – a first for the giveaway – and toothbrushes and toothpaste were distributed.
As they snaked through stations inside the building, families also could grab a bag of food and a frozen turkey for a holiday meal. Items were donated, or bought with cash donations, and no questions were asked of the attendees.
Bothwell bagged chickens during the first giveaway and said she enjoys seeing the children who come through, especially when they pick a gift for a guardian.
“A lot of this came from Bob’s heart,” she said. “He was an amazing man. And I know a lot of people came back every year because of him. Because of what he brought to everyone.”
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Contact Stephen Hobbs: 636-0275
Twitter @bystephenhobbs
Volunteers help a young girl ride her new bike at the Bob Telmosse Christmas Giveaway at the Mortgage Solutions Financial Expo Center on Saturday, December 19, 2015. Photo by Stacie Scott, The Gazette
Isaiah Cornelius, 9, kneels under the bulk of his gifts from the Bob Telmosse Christmas Giveaway at the Mortgage Solutions Financial Expo Center on Saturday, December 19, 2015. Photo by Stacie Scott, The Gazette
Children wait in line to enter the Bob Telmosse Christmas Giveaway at the Mortgage Solutions Financial Expo Center on Saturday, December 19, 2015. Photo by Stacie Scott, The Gazette