Sonoita, Ariz. – Riding in a horse drawn carriage and dressed in a green suit, Santa Claus made a surprise visit to the children of Sonoita on Sunday morning.
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Every year the agents and employees of the Sonoita Border Patrol Station band together and raise funds to ensure that families in need in eastern Santa Cruz County have a bountiful Christmas. In conjunction with civic volunteers, various families are identified to participate in the event. Agents and staff held fundraisers, donated gifts and generously gave and provided all the fixings for a holiday dinner for six families with 18 children.
An agent from the Sonoita Station, who has been coordinating the event since 1998, arrived dressed in his Border Patrol green Santa Claus suit in a horse drawn carriage. Children and their families enjoyed holiday treats and carriage rides with Santa before being showered with gifts.
Coordinated with local partners at the Sonoita-Elgin Fire Department, personnel from the fire department along with several Border Patrol agents were on hand to participate and support the event. Attendees were treated to a tour of the fire department and enjoyed the decorations as much as the fire trucks. The successful event is the highlight of the holiday season at the Sonoita Station and provides an opportunity for agents and their families to enjoy the foundations of true holiday cheer and goodwill while fostering a relationship with the community.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
