• last year
It’s the 8th Annual Hometown Heroes Toy Drive! AZTV 7 and Desert Financial Credit Union have teamed up with Valley of the Sun United Way, along with local area businesses, to help bring the joy of the holidays to families throughout Arizona. For more information visit https://www.aztv.com/hometownheroes-2023
Transcript
00:00 From 44th Street in Camelback,
00:02 this is the Arizona Daily Mix.
00:05 And tonight, we're coming to you from the Phoenix Zoo.
00:09 It's the Channel 7 Desert Financial Credit Union
00:13 Hometown Heroes Toy Drive Special.
00:15 And it all starts right now.
00:17 - Welcome to Channel 7 Desert Financial Credit Union's
00:22 Hometown Heroes Toy Drive Special from the Phoenix Zoo.
00:26 - Yes, we are out here for Zoo Lights
00:28 and it is absolutely beautiful.
00:31 I mean, the lights are shining, the music is playing,
00:33 and Brad, this is amazing, I've never been here before.
00:35 - Yeah, and you know what's so amazing
00:36 is that there are lots of lights around here
00:38 to go travel around and see.
00:40 - Yeah.
00:41 - And the families come out here,
00:42 it's a tradition for a lot of families.
00:43 We're gonna be talking to, of course,
00:45 the zoo people about that.
00:46 We're gonna meet one of their ambassadors.
00:48 - I love it. - He's nice.
00:49 But also, the reason that we're out here
00:50 is to honor our, of course, military families.
00:53 - Which is so amazing that we do every year.
00:55 It's our eighth annual Hometown Heroes Toy Drive.
00:57 And this is such a beautiful event,
00:59 and tonight is the night that we get together
01:01 and really celebrate it.
01:03 It's kind of the culmination of the whole event.
01:05 - It is, you're gonna meet some families
01:07 that, of course, have lost someone
01:10 or someone serving overseas
01:11 that we're putting a smile on their face for the holidays.
01:14 And it's not really us,
01:15 it's actually Helping Hands for Freedom who does this.
01:18 And this is my third year coming to this.
01:20 It used to be a very private, kind of quiet event,
01:24 but they said, you know what,
01:24 we wanna share this with the public, the viewers,
01:27 to show how much we love our military families.
01:30 - Because you know what, Brad, there's nothing better.
01:31 I know for Christmas, you know,
01:33 we all look forward to getting that gift
01:34 that we're so excited about,
01:35 but really there's nothing better
01:36 than giving the gift of Christmas and that joy,
01:39 especially when it comes to those special families,
01:41 those military families who have served our country,
01:43 and especially the kids in those families.
01:45 It's so beautiful to see.
01:47 - It is, and we couldn't do it
01:48 without a lot of sponsors that we have.
01:50 And of course, without you, the viewers, who gave too.
01:52 And I think we started in October getting toys
01:55 and kicked it off kind of small,
01:56 and then we're now to our final stage of passing them out.
01:59 And it's not just our military families.
02:01 We're doing our first responders.
02:02 We're also doing, of course,
02:04 those families in need with the Hope Women's Center.
02:06 - You're totally right.
02:07 Yeah, there's a ton of partners that we work with,
02:09 from our sponsors to all of the beneficiaries, if you will.
02:14 So yeah, it's a really incredible event.
02:15 And like you said, we started in October.
02:17 This is our eighth year doing this,
02:19 and it just keeps getting bigger and better.
02:21 So I'm honored to be here.
02:22 This is my first year getting to experience it.
02:24 And man, it is just putting me in such a great holiday spirit.
02:27 I love it.
02:28 - It is, and when you see the kids' face up there
02:31 receiving a gift, sitting with Santa,
02:33 and just taking that kind of pain away
02:37 from what they've been going through,
02:38 and meeting other families, too,
02:39 that know what they're going through.
02:40 So it is a blast.
02:41 It's fun to do.
02:42 But we couldn't do it without Desert Financial Credit Union.
02:45 And so I had a chance to talk with,
02:48 before we got started here tonight,
02:50 with Jeff Mishy, who is the CEO
02:52 of Desert Financial Credit Union.
02:53 - Love it.
02:54 (upbeat music)
02:56 - Merry Christmas!
02:58 (upbeat music)
03:00 - Jeff, what another wonderful year here at the zoo
03:04 to, of course, make sure we put smiles
03:06 on our military families' faces.
03:08 And we couldn't do it without Desert Financial Credit Union.
03:10 And this means a lot to you, doesn't it?
03:12 - It really does.
03:12 Every year I look forward to this event,
03:14 and it's just great to see the kids' faces,
03:17 to get a little Christmas joy.
03:19 - Yeah, and of course, the Christmas joy
03:21 couldn't be done without some amazing volunteers
03:23 from your different branches, which is so amazing.
03:26 But also, it's not just here.
03:28 It's been, throughout the year,
03:30 13,000 volunteer hours over that.
03:32 - Yeah, absolutely.
03:33 We set a record for volunteer hours this year.
03:36 Our employees are very generous
03:37 with their time and their money.
03:39 And we want to thank all of our members out there.
03:43 They love for us to do these things as well.
03:45 - And it's not just here in the Valley.
03:47 Even your branches in the Prescott area
03:48 and in Flagstaff got out
03:50 and did some Christmas shopping too.
03:52 - Yeah, it feels a little more like Christmas
03:53 up there right now.
03:54 But yeah, it's great to see all the wonderful things
03:57 we've been able to do across the state.
03:59 - Yeah, and seeing the faces of these children here
04:02 who might have lost a parent,
04:04 or of course, one is serving in the military force,
04:07 is again, so important to your whole team and to you.
04:10 - Yeah, there's nothing worse
04:11 than not being with your children on the holidays.
04:14 And so it's great for us to be able to help
04:18 and give them a little something extra this year.
04:21 - And again, it's not just here.
04:23 It's also at your branches.
04:24 That's what's really great
04:25 about Desert Financial Credit Union
04:26 is everybody chips in and you're very proud of them,
04:28 aren't you?
04:29 - Yeah, and we support a lot of great causes,
04:31 but this is obviously one of the better ones.
04:33 And we just enjoy partnering with AZ-7 every year to do this.
04:37 - Yeah, and I love that you come out here
04:39 with a part of your staff, your team,
04:41 to of course, see those faces and hand them out.
04:43 So you're not the guy who just sits behind a desk.
04:45 You get involved
04:46 and that's what Desert Financial Credit Union is all about.
04:49 - Yeah, I know.
04:49 And it's absolutely great to come out here
04:51 and see the lights as well.
04:52 So get in the spirit of the season.
04:55 - I like it.
04:56 Jeff, thank you very much.
04:57 Thank you for being a sponsor again this year.
04:59 And we couldn't do it
05:00 without Desert Financial Credit Union
05:01 and all your volunteers and your branches.
05:04 So thank you very much.
05:06 - From everyone at Desert Financial Credit Union,
05:09 Merry Christmas!
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07:57 - All right, so I am now here with General McGuire,
08:05 who is a 38 year veteran of the Air Force,
08:08 and you're also a native Arizonan, is that right?
08:12 - Well, I actually was born in California,
08:13 but my family has roots back to 1930 in this state.
08:17 My dad was a Naval officer, no Navy bases in Arizona.
08:20 - You're right, you gotta go to California for that.
08:22 Well, I'm also a California transplant,
08:24 but don't tell anybody.
08:26 But we are here celebrating
08:27 this really incredible event tonight,
08:29 and we wanted to talk with you and get a little bit
08:32 of kind of how you feel knowing
08:34 that there are military members here tonight,
08:36 who they've potentially been away from their families,
08:39 they've been separated at a time like this.
08:40 I mean, how does that make you feel?
08:42 'Cause you've experienced that yourself.
08:44 - I have, I actually was thinking about that today.
08:46 One of the most difficult things to do
08:49 for any military member is not deploying themselves,
08:53 but leaving their family behind,
08:54 especially with kids that know what's going on,
08:56 that you're not gonna be home in just a couple nights,
08:59 it's gonna be months, literally.
09:00 And at this event every year,
09:02 and I've been honored for the last three years
09:04 to be able to be here, we didn't do this in 2020,
09:07 but in 2019, before that,
09:09 we honor our Gold Star families,
09:12 who's unfortunately their loved ones never returned,
09:14 our disabled veterans,
09:17 and families of deployed service members who are overseas,
09:21 and we pray that they're in good health
09:23 and get home soon and safely,
09:25 and hopefully we can bring some joy to their families.
09:28 - Absolutely, and that's our prayer as well,
09:29 that they get home safe,
09:30 and for those family who maybe their loved ones
09:33 are not going to come back,
09:34 this is a way to give them just a little bit
09:36 of that Christmas joy, which is so, so special.
09:40 So when they are here and they're gonna go get a toy,
09:42 I mean, how do you hope that these kids feel
09:44 on Christmas morning,
09:45 I mean, when they have this amazing experience?
09:48 - Yeah, it's amazing what all the sponsors do.
09:53 AZTV7 has been just a huge supporter of our hometown heroes,
09:58 and Helping Hands, and all these outreach events,
10:00 but what I want the kids to feel is they see that toy
10:03 and they remember the reason they're doing this
10:06 on Christmas day is because their family member isn't there,
10:10 and it'll give them a chance to really think
10:12 about what Christmas is about.
10:13 It's nice for them to get toys,
10:15 but I know this will be a reminder of their mother,
10:18 father, uncle, aunt, whoever it is
10:22 that they're thinking about that morning.
10:24 I think that's the greatest thing about this opportunity.
10:27 - And you know, you just made me think of something
10:29 that I think is so beautiful because you are,
10:31 well, everybody here tonight is taking some
10:34 of the pressure off of those family members
10:36 who are the ones who are deployed,
10:38 because it's gotta be so hard to be the one
10:40 who's out and away from your family.
10:42 - Yeah, it is.
10:43 I used to say that people would thank me for my service,
10:46 but it is really the sacrifices of the family members
10:50 because they didn't raise their right hand
10:52 and say they're willing to do it,
10:54 but they willingly loved a service member
10:56 and make much greater emotional sacrifices at times
11:01 than any of us, and I think that gets lost sometimes,
11:05 and I would just ask all my fellow servicemen and women
11:08 to never forget that, be thankful for those
11:10 that say thank you for your service,
11:11 and always understand your family's gonna come first.
11:14 - Oh, that's so beautiful.
11:15 You're gonna make me a little emotional
11:17 because it really is, it's not just about the one member
11:20 in any way, it's the entire family unit.
11:23 Well, this is really, really beautiful.
11:24 Thank you for chatting with us,
11:26 and let's just continue to enjoy this wonderful night.
11:28 - Merry Christmas to everybody,
11:30 and pray that everybody has a happy holidays
11:33 and a great 2024, thank you.
11:35 - Amazing, me too, thank you so much, General.
11:37 All right, guys, stick around 'cause we got more
11:38 coming up after this.
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13:51 - Welcome back to Channel 7's Desert Financial Credit Union's
14:00 Hometown Heroes Toy Drive.
14:01 And I gotta tell ya, this is what it's all about.
14:04 Throughout, of course, the fall,
14:06 we've been collecting toys for our first responder families,
14:09 our military families and families in need.
14:11 And now we're at the big event
14:13 that Helping Hands for Freedom puts on
14:15 for our military families, which is so great.
14:17 Eric, listen, you've been over at the station
14:20 more than me at times, I'll tell ya,
14:21 because this is such an important thing here.
14:23 (laughing)
14:24 And so, you've been over at the station, of course,
14:27 making sure we're getting this right for you.
14:28 - It's my radio voice, that's what it is.
14:29 Yeah, whatever, yeah, yeah, yeah.
14:31 - How great's this, Eric?
14:32 - This is our best night of the year.
14:34 We have almost 300 family members here,
14:36 Gold Star, Wounded Warrior families, a few Guard families.
14:39 And you can tell the kids are going crazy.
14:41 They've already scouted out toys,
14:43 picked out what they want.
14:44 You're gonna be friends here in about 25, 30 minutes
14:47 of kid after kid after kid.
14:50 Santa Claus is outside to say hi to them,
14:52 photo ops, the whole thing.
14:53 So it's gonna be great.
14:54 It's our big night, big night, yeah.
14:56 - It is, and it's very important
14:57 because the families back here have either lost someone
15:00 or someone's been deployed, someone's not there right now.
15:02 - Yeah, a lot of the deployments right now
15:03 to actually to Poland, right, Ukraine border.
15:06 So it's kinda scary for some of these families, yeah.
15:08 - And you literally start tomorrow,
15:11 after this event's over, getting ready for next year
15:13 and for all the other things due,
15:14 'cause Helping Hands for Freedom does more
15:17 than I know for families throughout the community.
15:19 - Well, yeah, a lot of rent, mortgage, utilities,
15:22 car payments, that's our real primary mission, if you will.
15:25 But we have these nice events like this once in a while,
15:27 too, like hockey games, baseball games,
15:29 Zoo Lights is the culmination of the year, always, always.
15:32 - And what's really amazing is that you do have
15:34 some families that are returning,
15:35 but then you have new families here that get that support.
15:38 So this is a night of not just a celebration
15:41 of the holidays, it's also a support night
15:43 for those families going through hard times.
15:45 - A lot of families see each other a couple times a year.
15:47 They share this unfortunate experience in many cases,
15:50 but it is what it is, and they like each other,
15:52 the kids get together, the kids become buddies
15:55 for life, basically, which is pretty cool.
15:57 - Yeah, and we see their faces light up with the toys.
16:01 But I like seeing your face light up,
16:03 'cause that's what it's about.
16:04 You can't hide, Eric, you can't.
16:06 I see you light up when you see that kid come up
16:08 and go, "Thank you."
16:10 - The kids are the best.
16:12 I mean, they think I'm really cool,
16:14 and that's pretty cool for me, yeah.
16:15 So yeah, yeah.
16:16 - This is great.
16:17 Not only are they, of course, getting toys,
16:19 they get a chance to enjoy the zoo,
16:21 and it's because of some great sponsors
16:23 and people participating for this.
16:25 - Yeah, Lincoln Financial, you guys,
16:26 and Desert Financial Credit Union.
16:27 I mean, without those three great people,
16:30 this doesn't happen, period.
16:32 - Yeah, and we need to also talk about
16:34 why this is dear to your heart,
16:35 Helping Hands for Freedom is important to you.
16:38 - Well, my son came back from the war in 2012, injured,
16:40 you know, first Marines, Afghanistan, Helmand Province.
16:43 He has a brain injury, PTSD.
16:45 So I realize what families go through,
16:47 even though he came back, he wasn't the same person.
16:49 Cost him his marriage and a couple jobs
16:52 'cause he couldn't handle a lot of the stress.
16:54 But he's here, he's doing fine now.
16:56 He's like driving, he's just driving,
16:58 doing his thing all the time.
16:59 So it took him 10 years, but he's back, he's back, yeah.
17:02 - And that's why this is so important tonight,
17:04 because it is giving those parents hope,
17:06 and they have someone that knows what they're going through.
17:08 And that's why we celebrate them.
17:09 That's why we have a good time
17:10 with the gifts and everything.
17:12 We've been wrapping, we're getting stuff ready
17:13 and everything, which has been fun.
17:15 - It is the night of the year.
17:17 Many families don't really have a big Christmas.
17:19 This makes their Christmas, and that's pretty cool.
17:22 - It is, there's food, fun, it's just enjoyable for everyone.
17:25 - Santa Claus, come on, man.
17:27 - You can't be Santa Claus, there it is.
17:28 Eric, we thank you for letting us be a part of this,
17:30 'cause I know at first this was a very quiet, intimate event.
17:34 - It was.
17:34 - The family said, "No, we wanna open up.
17:35 We wanna show what is going on in the community
17:38 and taking care of our military families."
17:39 - We had maybe 30 or 40 the first year, now we're at 300.
17:42 - Yeah, and this is just--
17:43 - That's how it's grown.
17:44 - And this is just a few.
17:45 I mean, there was a lot more we're taking care of, too.
17:47 - A lot of, we have toys going to Southern Arizona,
17:49 Fort Huachuca, also Flagstaff,
17:51 and even here in Phoenix, Arizona.
17:53 So toys are going everywhere who cannot be here.
17:56 So yes, it's a big night, big night.
17:57 - And a lot of community of families here and everything.
17:59 - We brought five pallets of toys, okay?
18:00 That's all we have, yeah.
18:01 - And the community of families here is so important.
18:03 - Absolutely, yes.
18:04 - So yeah, it's so incredible.
18:06 - Great event, great night, a lot of fun.
18:08 Happy holidays, yep.
18:08 - There it is.
18:09 Well, I'll tell you, as we said,
18:11 it's a night to honor our families,
18:14 for those who have served our country.
18:15 And we couldn't do it without some wonderful sponsors.
18:18 And one is Mattamy Homes.
18:20 (upbeat music)
18:23 - Our Hometown Heroes Toy Drive has been a huge success
18:31 and bringing holiday joy to Arizona families in need.
18:34 One of our sponsors knows just how meaningful that is.
18:36 I'm joined by Don from Mattamy Homes.
18:38 Don, thank you so much for being here with us.
18:40 - Thanks for having us, Lexi.
18:42 - Of course.
18:42 So we love that you partner with us each year
18:45 in our Hometown Heroes Toy Drive.
18:47 But before we get into that,
18:48 tell us a little bit about what you guys do
18:49 at Mattamy Homes.
18:51 - At Mattamy, we are North America's largest
18:53 privately held builder developers.
18:55 So we buy raw land, entitle, develop the community
18:59 and build all the homes.
19:00 - Wow, and you said North America.
19:01 So you're obviously here in Arizona,
19:04 but you're kind of all over.
19:05 - We are, we're in nine markets in the US
19:07 and four major markets in Canada as well.
19:10 - Wow, oh my gosh.
19:11 So you guys are doing so much.
19:12 You're bringing a lot of beautiful new communities
19:14 here to the Valley, kind of all throughout the Valley.
19:18 - We are, we're definitely spread everywhere
19:20 from up in the Anthem area.
19:21 And then you kind of just roll all the way around
19:24 the 303 all the way down to Goodyear.
19:26 And then as everybody knows, Southeast,
19:28 Queen Creek, San Tan, that area is hot.
19:31 - Oh yeah, well, all of those areas
19:33 that you just talked about,
19:34 all the way over in the West Valley,
19:35 the Southeast Valley, and then up North,
19:38 that is where people are going to buy homes.
19:40 We were just talking about it.
19:41 So you were saying the burbs, if you will.
19:44 That's definitely where people are going.
19:45 - It definitely is.
19:46 And the demand right now is fantastic.
19:50 And we're having to do a little bit with interest rates
19:52 to help folks out, but it's working.
19:54 I think it's a fantastic time.
19:56 Interest rates currently are dropping.
19:57 They're on a down trend right now, thank goodness.
19:59 And we look for that to continue
20:01 if the prognosticators are accurate.
20:04 - Well, fingers crossed.
20:05 I was telling you that I'm still looking as well.
20:07 So yes, I love that news.
20:09 That's great news.
20:10 And for people who are looking specifically
20:11 in a matinee community, what can they expect to see?
20:16 - Well, you'll come in, we'll have typically
20:17 a lot more model homes than the average community
20:19 you'll go into, because we control the whole thing.
20:22 We do all the development, we do all the home building.
20:24 So you go into, we'll have typically
20:27 three product types per neighborhood,
20:29 lot sizes, spec levels.
20:32 And then once you go in, if you decide to pick a lot,
20:34 buy a home, you'll go to our design center
20:36 and get to pick all the materials.
20:38 - I love that.
20:39 So you go to the design center
20:40 and you get to really customize it and make it your own.
20:43 - Yes, people love that.
20:44 People love that.
20:45 - Absolutely, because you can come
20:46 into this beautiful new home and you can make it
20:49 as much or as little customized as you want it to be.
20:52 - For sure, for sure.
20:53 And we do, we build what we call QMI's as well
20:56 for people that need a quick move in.
20:57 And so we'll have some of those.
20:59 We'll have professional designers
21:00 pick all the colors in those.
21:01 - Oh, that's great.
21:02 So it's like you're designing it,
21:04 but you have a little bit of help from the pros.
21:06 - Right, right, right.
21:07 - That's really, really cool.
21:08 And you guys have been involved
21:09 in our Hometown Heroes Toy Drive for several years now.
21:12 This was your third year with us.
21:14 - Yes.
21:15 - And I know you guys are really invested
21:16 in your local communities.
21:18 So tell me how it felt this year to be involved.
21:21 - This is my favorite of the year.
21:23 We're involved in a few causes throughout the year
21:26 and it kind of runs through the fabric of the company
21:28 from the top all the way down.
21:30 We like to be involved in the communities we're in.
21:32 And this one excites me every year
21:34 when it kind of starts to come up.
21:36 And particularly when Katie comes in and goes,
21:38 sends us the email and says,
21:39 "Okay, now everybody please go donate or buy toys."
21:43 And I personally have a lot,
21:44 I get all excited, so let's go.
21:46 (laughing)
21:47 - And that's so much fun.
21:49 That's what it's all about, right?
21:50 Is getting to see the actual purchasing of the toys,
21:54 the people that it's going to,
21:56 the families that it's impacting.
21:58 And it's such a big deal.
21:59 You really get to see it right there in front of you.
22:02 - It's a very direct connection.
22:03 I mean, I get to see the toys and watching the videos,
22:07 we see the smiles on the kids' faces
22:09 and the folks that are benefiting from this,
22:12 I can't think of a more worthy cause.
22:14 - Absolutely, I agree 100%.
22:16 These families are so deserving
22:18 and it's such an amazing feeling to be a part of it
22:21 and to get to see this.
22:22 And we're so honored to have you be our partners
22:25 once again this year.
22:26 It was a great year.
22:27 And of course, if you want to learn more
22:29 about our toy drive and how it all went,
22:31 you can go to avtv.com and check all that out.
22:33 But how do they work with you guys?
22:36 How do they find more information about Mattamy?
22:37 - Easy enough, just mattamyhomes.com.
22:40 - Nice and easy, I love that.
22:42 All right, Don, well, thank you so much for sharing.
22:43 And again, thank you for being our partners
22:45 in this year's Hometown Heroes.
22:47 - Thanks, Lexi, good to see you again.
22:48 - Absolutely.
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25:05 - Welcome back to the Channel 7
25:10 Desert Financial Credit Union
25:12 Hometown Heroes Toy Drive special
25:14 from the Phoenix Zoo.
25:16 - Oh yeah.
25:16 - And Lexi, I'll tell you, this is so amazing.
25:18 I mean, we talked with, of course, Jeff
25:21 from Desert Financial Credit Union.
25:23 - Yeah, absolutely.
25:24 And I got to talk with General McGuire,
25:26 who is amazing, and he shared a little bit
25:28 of his story with us, which was really, really cool.
25:30 - Yeah, and it's just wonderful to see these families
25:33 out here receiving the gifts that you, the viewers,
25:35 helped us, of course, collect,
25:37 and our wonderful sponsors, too.
25:39 - Absolutely, it's such an awesome night,
25:41 and we obviously have a lot of our sponsors here
25:43 out at Zoo Lights, but you know what?
25:45 Coming up next, we get to chat with somebody
25:47 from the zoo, so that's gonna be really exciting.
25:49 - Oh, I like that.
25:50 - All right.
25:51 - And of course, we talk about all the lights here.
25:52 - Yeah, I mean, I wonder how many lights
25:54 there actually are here.
25:55 - All right, well, let's find out.
25:56 - All right.
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26:00 - Joaquin, we're out here with the big Zoo Lights
26:04 going on, which is so amazing, and I gotta ask,
26:07 how many lights are out here?
26:08 - Over four million lights.
26:09 I didn't count them myself, don't know who's doing it,
26:11 but they say it's over four million,
26:13 and it looks like four million.
26:14 - I was gonna say, how do we verify this?
26:15 I mean, like, that is a lot of lights.
26:17 - That is a lot.
26:18 We have a dedicated Zoo Lights team out here right now,
26:20 so those guys are in charge.
26:21 They work on it year-round.
26:22 In the middle of summer, they're up there
26:23 putting up lights.
26:24 - Wow, that's what I was wondering.
26:25 So do they ever come down, or do they just stay up there
26:27 the whole year round?
26:28 - No, no, they will go up and then come down.
26:30 They start putting them up in June,
26:31 and they kinda start taking them down around March-ish.
26:34 There's some very big, tall trees that keep their lights,
26:36 but, you know, most of them go down.
26:37 - All right, I'm gonna test your knowledge and see.
26:39 Over the years that they've been doing this,
26:40 how many people come through those gates?
26:42 - Oh my gosh, honestly, you're gonna get me on the spot
26:44 there, but well over a lot of thousands of people
26:46 go up, come there every year.
26:48 It is one of the most popular things to do in the Valley.
26:50 - It is.
26:51 - Four million, one person for each light.
26:52 - There you go, I like that, there you go.
26:54 And what I love, too, is that it's a whole family affair,
26:57 and it gets better and better each year.
26:58 - Yeah, I mean, this year we have a brand new
27:00 Lake Lights show, I mean, the tree's right behind us.
27:02 We have a new s'more station, and we opened up
27:04 Predator Passage, which is part of our daytime experience.
27:06 But you can see our big lionesses out there
27:08 during the night as well.
27:09 - That's so cool, and Joaquin, I gotta know
27:11 about the zoo itself, because obviously,
27:13 Zoo Lights is one of your biggest events
27:15 that you do all year, but what about during the year?
27:17 I mean, people can still come and visit the animals
27:19 and hang out, like, throughout the entire year, right?
27:21 - Yeah, I mean, we are open every single day.
27:23 The only day we're closed is Christmas Day,
27:25 but Christmas night, you best believe,
27:27 we're out up and open for Zoo Lights.
27:28 - Because this is an event.
27:30 If you wanna come somewhere for the holidays,
27:32 I mean, yes, come all year long, but this is an event.
27:35 There's music playing, there's lights everywhere.
27:37 This is a blast.
27:38 - I mean, it's an amazing place to be.
27:40 I mean, I love Zoo Lights, but I love animals
27:42 a little bit more, so for me, daytime is where
27:45 you wanna be, just to be this close to our newest animals,
27:47 like our lions over in Predator Passage,
27:49 to be able to experience that almost connection
27:52 with these big predatory animals,
27:53 and know that you're supporting a good cause,
27:54 because this is, first and foremost, a conservation center.
27:57 - Yeah, and we know that there's an extension here
27:59 that has been put up, right?
28:00 - Yeah, the Predator Passage expansion
28:02 over on the Africa Trail, lion, leopard, hyenas.
28:06 My favorite right now is the leopard.
28:07 Don't tell the lions.
28:08 - Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my.
28:11 - And you know, you can get as close to these animals
28:12 as ever before.
28:14 - Wow, that's really cool. - This is so amazing to see.
28:15 - And you said something about it being a conservation,
28:17 so what does that entail exactly?
28:19 - Yeah, well, you know, we are basically
28:22 a big sanctuary of sorts.
28:24 A lot of our animals here are endangered,
28:26 and the zoo has actually brought back
28:28 endangered species from extinction.
28:30 Our Arabian oryx, actually, they were considered extinct,
28:33 and through different conservation organizations
28:35 and the Phoenix Zoo, we've actually brought them back
28:37 from extinction.
28:38 - Wow, that is incredible. - That's amazing.
28:40 Speaking of bringing them back,
28:41 you brought someone with you right now, didn't you?
28:43 - Yeah, somebody not very endangered here
28:45 is our three-banded armadillo.
28:47 He is little Cashew.
28:49 Now, you can see him sticking his little head out right now.
28:51 He's not a Pokemon.
28:51 This is a real animal.
28:53 So watch, you guys ever seen Transformers before?
28:55 - Yeah. - Yeah.
28:56 - Let me just wind him up.
28:56 (imitates whipping)
28:58 Cashew, transform.
29:00 And now, there he goes.
29:03 - Oh my gosh. - Is he pretty fast?
29:05 - We're about to find out.
29:06 (laughs)
29:07 I'm kidding. - And what's he eat?
29:08 - So he's an insectivore.
29:09 This guy loves to eat all things bugs.
29:11 I mean, don't we all?
29:12 - Yeah. - Oh, yeah.
29:13 - So he's just going a little bit piece by piece?
29:15 - Yeah, he's gonna smell things around.
29:17 I'm just gonna keep an eye on him,
29:18 make sure he doesn't get up to any stairs,
29:20 but, you know, there he goes.
29:21 - Oh, no, Joaquin, we're not done with you.
29:23 Come in here. - I know, bring Cashew back.
29:24 - Yeah, I just didn't want him to run away
29:26 and all of a sudden we're gone there.
29:27 So, okay, after Zoo Lights is over,
29:30 the zoo is back to its regular hours, right?
29:32 - Yeah, I know.
29:32 So we are gonna go back to our, you know,
29:35 our, sorry, nine to four, five schedule for daytime.
29:38 But I mean, again, like you have so much to experience
29:40 throughout the day as well.
29:41 But we're still open 'til January 14th
29:43 in terms of Zoo Lights.
29:44 - Oh, it goes for quite a while.
29:45 I love that, okay. - Yeah, so if you
29:47 still have family here after the holidays,
29:48 bring 'em through.
29:49 - All through the Advent season.
29:50 - I love that. - I like that.
29:51 - Very, very cool. - That is awesome
29:52 to bring the kids through and picture opportunities.
29:53 And do there areas that you tell 'em
29:55 this is a great picture opportunity?
29:57 - Oh, we have a lot of photo ops.
29:58 So our Glow Garden is gorgeous.
29:59 It's next to Santa Claus,
30:00 which you can get your photo with Santa there.
30:02 But if you want some cute selfies,
30:03 the Glow Garden has these beautiful blue and pink lights
30:06 that just really shine on people's faces.
30:08 And while Zoo Lights is a light viewing experience,
30:10 you can also still see some animals.
30:11 We have our AAR animal shows.
30:12 And you can see people like Cashew out there.
30:14 So you get some animal kicks too.
30:16 - I was gonna say, you guys have the animals
30:18 and the good Instagram lighting
30:20 'cause that's what everybody's about.
30:21 You said something about good lighting.
30:23 So you're gonna get people out for all of that.
30:24 I love it.
30:25 And how many different species of animal do you have?
30:27 Do you know?
30:28 - Oh my gosh.
30:29 Oh, we have a few thousand species, I wanna say.
30:34 - Wow.
30:35 - A lot of these being like between insects,
30:37 birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals.
30:39 We have a few different types of animals out here.
30:41 - That is so cool.
30:42 - And they all get the absolute best care in the world.
30:44 - I love that. - I love it.
30:45 Well, it's Zoo Lights out here.
30:47 As he said, it continues on 'til the middle of January.
30:50 And after that, you come out and enjoy the zoo.
30:51 So thanks for bringing Cashew over for us.
30:54 - Thanks, Cashew.
30:55 Merry Christmas, Cashew.
30:56 - Come on back.
30:57 We got more for you from Zoo Lights.
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33:44 - Okay, so now we have moved over
33:50 and I'm standing with Shelly
33:52 from Survivor Outreach Services or SOS.
33:55 So Shelly, tell me a little bit about what you guys do.
33:58 - So Survivor Outreach Services is an Army-wide program
34:01 and it's dedicated to supporting survivors
34:04 who've lost their Army soldier.
34:07 And so no matter if you're active duty,
34:09 National Guard or Reserves,
34:10 we help those families with counseling,
34:13 if they need financial services.
34:15 And sometimes we can do great events like Zoo Lights
34:18 with our partners here, like Helping Hands for Freedom
34:20 and you guys.
34:21 - Mommy!
34:22 - Well, this is so cool.
34:23 I was gonna say, you guys are a survivor family
34:25 and you're here with your beautiful daughter.
34:27 Do you mind sharing a little bit about your story?
34:30 - Yes, so my husband passed, sorry, it's tall heart,
34:34 in 2014, just before our daughter was born.
34:39 And this program has been such a great help to us.
34:42 And so--
34:43 - It's okay, Mama.
34:44 - Thanks.
34:45 When I had the opportunity to apply for this position
34:48 to help others in our community, I jumped on it.
34:50 So--
34:51 - I love Mommy.
34:52 - I love doing this and helping out our families.
34:54 - You guys obviously have a beautiful connection
34:56 and such a beautiful family.
34:57 And what you're doing here tonight
34:59 is making a huge, huge difference
35:01 and it's really, really cool.
35:02 So, tell me a little bit more just about what you guys do
35:06 and how people get involved with you.
35:09 - So, sometimes we do special things,
35:12 like we can do shop with a cop,
35:14 where we shop with a military member
35:17 and we get $100 to spend from the cop.
35:20 So, yeah.
35:22 - We have another family that we're gonna talk to.
35:24 So, guys, we'll go ahead and have you guys come in as well.
35:29 So, remind me your name.
35:30 - Julie.
35:31 - Anne.
35:31 - Raiden.
35:32 - Vaughn.
35:33 - All right, and tell me a little bit
35:34 about you guys and your story.
35:36 - So, our dad was in the military in Army Rangers
35:41 and in 2011, he got hit by a car on the freeway.
35:48 - While patrolling. - He saved someone.
35:50 - Yeah.
35:51 - Wow, what an incredible man he sounds like.
35:54 And obviously, you guys are the embodiment of that
35:57 and what an awesome soldier he was.
36:00 And so, it's really special that you're here tonight.
36:03 Tell me a little bit about what this means
36:04 for you to be here tonight.
36:06 - We come every year and we look forward to this event
36:09 and it's just where we can be with our family,
36:12 our survivor family, and they know how it is
36:17 to go through this and they understand.
36:20 So, it's nice to be with our family.
36:23 - Having that community is so important,
36:25 especially this time of year.
36:28 And so, do you guys mind sharing with me
36:30 what it felt like to be here tonight
36:32 and to be able to go up and grab a gift?
36:36 - It was very nice.
36:38 - Yeah, what did you get?
36:40 - Hot wheels.
36:41 (laughing)
36:43 - What about you, did you grab anything?
36:44 - Oh yeah, I grabbed a football and a soccer ball.
36:49 - Oh, perfect, we got hot wheels,
36:51 we got football, softball.
36:52 Did you get a gift as well?
36:54 - Yeah, I got to pick up two because they said
36:57 that they had too many, so come on in and pick some more.
37:01 So, I got a purple and pink scooter
37:04 and also I got this really cool skateboard
37:07 with jelly beans on it.
37:08 - Well, you guys, thank you so much
37:11 for chatting with me, all of you.
37:13 This is such a special event.
37:14 We are so honored to be here with you guys
37:16 here from AZTV7 and truly, I so appreciate you
37:19 sharing your stories with me because I know
37:21 your stories are hard, but like you were saying,
37:24 having the community here, really coming together
37:27 this time of year is so special.
37:28 - It makes me happy.
37:29 - It makes me happy too.
37:31 - I miss daddy.
37:32 Being with mommy and going to these special events
37:36 for our survivors is so much fun,
37:38 it makes me super happy.
37:39 - I love it, well that's the whole point of tonight, right?
37:42 Is to bring happiness, joy, and community.
37:45 So, thank you all so much for talking with us.
37:47 All right guys, stick around,
37:48 we got more coming up after this.
37:50 Thank you guys so much, that was awesome.
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40:06 - And welcome back to the channel sevens,
40:14 desert financial credit unions,
40:15 hometown heroes toy drive.
40:17 We're here at the zoo where we are honoring
40:20 our military families.
40:22 And we couldn't do this without desert financial credit
40:24 union and also Lincoln heritage,
40:26 who is our parent company for the station.
40:28 And I'll tell you, Jesse, this is so great.
40:31 Again, you guys stepping up to do this,
40:32 but it's of course all year round you give.
40:35 And what's really neat is that this is the eighth year
40:37 for us, but this has been going on for a long time
40:38 at the company, hasn't it?
40:40 - It definitely has.
40:41 And it's a very important thing to the company to give back.
40:43 And it's such an important cause to give back to that.
40:46 It's something that's very important to us.
40:47 Yes, definitely.
40:48 - And what's so great is that your staff pretty much goes
40:52 out on their own to make sure families have those gifts
40:55 for the holidays.
40:56 And I love how they compete a little bit too,
40:57 to see what group can do the best.
40:59 And it's all going for a good cause.
41:01 - Yeah, exactly.
41:02 We have the site to go in and we all donate,
41:05 select which toys we want and make it fun.
41:07 Make it fun to be able to give back to the community
41:09 and enjoy and see what we can do.
41:11 - You guys are of course on the front line for insurance
41:14 for a lot of families that go through different things.
41:18 And that's why this holiday giveaway is so important
41:21 to our military fans, 'cause we serve a lot of them,
41:23 don't we?
41:24 - We do.
41:24 And there's a lot of tough times.
41:26 So anything we can do to make the holidays more special
41:28 and more fun, especially for the families
41:30 that do so much for us, it's important.
41:32 As I said, it started upstairs before it came
41:35 to Channel 7 and it started because of the London family.
41:38 Wanted to take care of families,
41:40 but also of course some of the staff people.
41:42 - Yes, exactly.
41:43 The staff people and the London family really is,
41:45 we take care of our policy holders, our agents
41:47 and everyone at the home office.
41:48 It's just really the family is amazing.
41:50 Everything they do for us and the community, it's awesome.
41:54 - And again, eight years doing this with us downstairs
41:57 at the station has been really fun.
41:59 And we just don't do, of course, the toy drive.
42:02 You guys are part of our back to school drive too.
42:04 And again, that was a fun time.
42:06 - It was a fun time.
42:07 It was very successful.
42:08 And again, it's giving back to the community,
42:10 not just the community, but our youth and our future.
42:12 So it's really special.
42:13 It's awesome.
42:14 - And what I love too is that you actually have clients
42:17 that will call in and go, hey, listen,
42:19 I know about your toy drive and we wanna donate.
42:21 And that's what's important there too, isn't it?
42:23 - It is, definitely.
42:24 Especially local with the station and advertising,
42:26 definitely calling in locally and wanting to get involved
42:28 and wanting to give back as well.
42:30 Yeah, definitely, lots of it.
42:31 - Yeah, all right.
42:32 So we are, of course, here at the zoo
42:35 for the military giveaway with the families.
42:38 And it's just, again, a great way
42:39 that you guys have been helping out
42:40 along with Desert Financial Credit Union.
42:42 It gets bigger and bigger each year, doesn't it?
42:43 - Yes, it gets bigger and bigger and that's good.
42:45 Helping more people and giving out more cheer for the holidays.
42:48 - All right, I gotta ask you, any holiday cheer for you?
42:50 Do you wanna send it out to anybody?
42:53 - Sure, my wife, Marissa, and especially my kids,
42:56 Nicholas and Mariemma, love you guys.
42:58 And I can't wait to see you guys when I get home.
43:00 - Yeah, there it is.
43:01 So again, we are having a great time out here
43:03 at our big holiday toy drive giveaway.
43:06 It's kind of like the last part of our big drive
43:09 here to make sure military families are taken care of.
43:12 And we make sure that other families in the community
43:14 are taken care of too.
43:15 And that's what it's all about.
43:16 So stick around, we got more for you
43:19 from the special right here at the zoo.
43:27 Trevor, I'll tell ya, we just got done talking to Jesse
43:30 about how important this is
43:32 to Lincoln Heritage Life Insurance.
43:34 And again, it's all about the holidays.
43:36 We know this started upstairs
43:38 and now it's been brought down to our station.
43:40 And how great's that?
43:41 - Yes, it's amazing for us to be able to be involved
43:43 and help out with this great cause.
43:45 - Yeah, and what we love is, as I said,
43:47 it started upstairs with just a few of your agents,
43:50 few people getting together to take care of a family
43:51 that was in need.
43:52 And it has grown to the point where, as I said to him,
43:55 a lot of competition goes on up there.
43:57 - Yes, the departments all compete
43:59 to see who can get the most gifts.
44:00 (laughing)
44:01 - It's fun.
44:02 And you guys know how important the community is.
44:04 You know, it started with the London family
44:06 and can carry on throughout the building,
44:07 even down to our station.
44:09 Eight years we've been doing it.
44:10 And it's just great to see, of course,
44:12 the military families who we're all here now with
44:14 light up, isn't it?
44:15 - Yes, and it's awesome for us to be able to help out
44:17 with the families and this awesome cause
44:19 of giving back to the community.
44:21 - Yeah, and you know personally, 'cause you have a family.
44:23 And so when it comes to Christmas time,
44:25 it's a great time for families to be together.
44:27 And for those that cannot afford,
44:29 or of course here right now,
44:31 they're off serving our country.
44:33 You guys make sure of that.
44:34 - Yes, and this is perfect to help out
44:37 when they're away from their families.
44:39 - Yeah, and again, it all started with you guys upstairs
44:41 coming together and it continues on.
44:43 You guys were part of our back to school drive.
44:45 And it's not over when Christmas time is over
44:47 for all you giving upstairs, is it?
44:50 - Nope, we keep trying to help out any way we can.
44:52 - Yeah, which is amazing.
44:54 So again, we can't thank you enough.
44:56 And of course our military families do
44:58 and everyone says thank you to you all being a part of this.
45:00 - And we're grateful also to be able to help out
45:02 and do our part.
45:04 - Thank you very much.
45:05 There you go, thank you.
45:06 - Channel 7, it's all good.
45:09 - Here at Channel 7, we are in the midst
45:13 of our Hometown Heroes Holiday Toy Drive.
45:16 And the event is the highlight of our year
45:19 and we could not do it without our generous sponsors.
45:22 One of those sponsors is Thomas Law.
45:23 And he's come here to talk to us about
45:25 how important this is to of course the community.
45:27 It's Fred Law, how are you Fred Thomas?
45:29 Fred Thomas, sorry.
45:29 - It's okay.
45:30 (laughing)
45:31 Somebody's actually called me before.
45:32 They asked for Fred Law before and I'm like,
45:35 you mean, yeah, well it is what it is.
45:37 - Fred, how you doing?
45:38 - Good, you?
45:39 - Good, I'm doing great 'cause it is the holiday season.
45:41 And we appreciate you very much for being a part
45:43 of our Desert Financial Credit Union
45:45 Hometown Heroes Toy Drive.
45:46 And again, this is important to you
45:48 'cause you know firsthand how important the community is.
45:51 - Well not only that, it's, I look at it this way,
45:53 the families that are the beneficiaries of this program,
45:57 either someone in the family or themselves
45:59 have risked the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
46:02 So it's, you know, and so to bring a little bit of joy
46:05 to their holiday, I'm more than happy to do that.
46:07 - Yeah, and again, it's where we mentioned
46:10 it's the first responders and our veterans
46:12 and families in need.
46:13 And kind of like when you go through the community,
46:16 you see that a little bit.
46:16 You said, of course, those who have given back.
46:19 It's a great way to give back in doing things.
46:21 - Yeah, yeah, like I said, I've never served.
46:23 I'm not a first responder, I'm not a police officer.
46:26 So, you know, if there's anything I can do
46:29 to help give back a little bit,
46:31 I know it's, even if it is just buying somebody
46:34 enough money to buy a gift for their kid,
46:36 it brings a smile to their face, it's worth it.
46:38 - Yeah, it is.
46:39 And again, we talk about it as a holiday season
46:42 and you want people to be safe out there,
46:43 which is something that's very important, isn't it?
46:45 - Oh yeah, it is.
46:46 I mean, 'cause look, even grandma got run over by a reindeer.
46:49 So, I mean, if you're out there,
46:51 and especially with the holiday,
46:53 everybody's shopping, going to holiday parties,
46:56 just be safe, you know, watch out
46:59 for everybody else on the roadway,
47:01 make sure we're all getting to the same place,
47:04 you don't need to rush.
47:05 - Yeah.
47:06 - So unfortunately, sometimes accidents do happen,
47:08 but I mean, don't take it personal.
47:10 Remember, this is a season of giving,
47:13 not a season of I need to be there.
47:15 - Right, and again, if you are in trouble,
47:17 it's good to give you a call, just, you know,
47:19 because you're there for them,
47:20 especially if you don't know something,
47:21 especially during the holiday, going crazy,
47:23 you don't know what to take care of,
47:25 you're there to help them if these type of things happen.
47:27 - Right, so if you are unfortunately in an accident,
47:29 you're injured, you can give me a call,
47:30 I can get you to providers, I can help you,
47:32 and I'll guide you, or not guide you,
47:34 I'll take care of the insurance company
47:36 and navigate that process.
47:37 So you can focus on the holidays
47:39 and spending time with your family
47:41 and just enjoying the season for what it is.
47:44 - Yeah, especially as we start seeing families
47:45 coming to visit, it's good to be safe out there
47:48 and do things, but I wanna get back to, of course,
47:50 the toy drive. - Yes.
47:51 - Again, this is important to everybody,
47:53 and again, we love that you're doing this.
47:55 And I gotta ask you, do you have any memories
47:56 of, of course, growing up with Christmas and the holidays?
48:00 - There's always one I remember.
48:01 We were still living back east,
48:03 I was probably five, maybe six,
48:06 and we just moved into the new house,
48:07 and I wanted a dog, right?
48:09 And I remember it's Christmas Eve,
48:12 or Christmas morning, like 6 a.m.,
48:13 and I hear a dog barking.
48:15 And I'm like, and my grandmother's like,
48:17 you don't hear a dog barking.
48:18 I'm like, I swear, I hear a dog barking.
48:21 And sure enough, he comes, this little mutt
48:23 comes running out, I named him Claws, Santa Claws.
48:28 Everybody thought I named him Claws 'cause he had claws.
48:30 I'm like, no, it's like Santa Claws.
48:32 But that is one of the most distinct memories
48:34 I think I will ever have of Christmas,
48:35 'cause I, up and down, I was like,
48:36 there's a dog downstairs.
48:38 No, there's not, no, there's not.
48:39 - That's great. - No, there's a dog.
48:41 - That's what our toy drive is all about.
48:42 It's about giving those kids, of course,
48:45 that joy on the Christmas day,
48:48 when they think they can't because the families
48:50 are in need, or parents have to make those choices
48:53 of, of course, keeping the lights on or buying gifts.
48:55 And that's why you being a part of this toy drive
48:57 helps them give the families and stuff
48:59 a wonderful Christmas.
49:00 - No, and I'm more than happy to.
49:02 I think these programs you guys do like this, like this,
49:05 and Stuff the Bus are amazing things,
49:06 and I'm proud to be part of it.
49:08 - Well, Fred, we're very happy to have you
49:09 a part of our team here with this,
49:10 and of course, here at the AZTV Channel 7.
49:13 - Thank you much.
49:13 - Tell 'em where they can find more
49:14 about Thomas Law.
49:16 - ThomasLawAZ.com, Instagram @ThomasLawAZ,
49:20 Facebook @ThomasLawAZ, and you can always call me.
49:23 - Perfect.
49:24 There you go.
49:25 Your number's right there for everybody.
49:25 - Right, there you go. - Hey, thank you.
49:27 - All right, thank you. - Thanks for being here.
49:27 All right, don't go anywhere.
49:29 - We have more of this special night coming up for you
49:31 from the Phoenix Zoo Zoo Lights right after this.
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51:45 - Okay, so I am here with our GM, with my boss,
51:53 so I really can't mess this one up,
51:55 but I am here with the one and only Rick,
51:57 the GM of AZTV7.
52:00 Rick, I'm so excited to talk with you
52:01 because this is one of the most amazing events
52:04 that we do all year, and it's so special.
52:06 So this is our eighth annual.
52:07 Tell me the story that you just told me,
52:10 a little bit about how this got started.
52:12 - Well, the London's that has started this
52:16 many years before us, one young lady came down and said,
52:19 "Hey, do you want to buy a lottery ticket
52:21 "and you can win a prize?"
52:23 I said, "Well, what's the prize?"
52:24 And she said, "Well, you could wear blue jeans on Friday."
52:28 And then, "Oh, okay."
52:29 I said, "What's the money going towards?"
52:31 "Well, school supplies."
52:32 I said, "Well, don't you own a TV station?"
52:34 "Well, yeah, we haven't talked to them."
52:36 I said, "Well, that's stopped."
52:37 Eight years ago, we started off with our
52:39 back to school drive, and this is our eighth annual
52:42 Hometown Heroes toy drive, which is just phenomenal.
52:45 And this is your first one.
52:48 - Technically, yes, it is my first, my inaugural year,
52:51 but I'm excited because it's getting bigger
52:53 and better every year.
52:55 So tell me a little bit about what's different this year
52:58 and how it keeps growing.
53:00 - Well, we get smarter, okay?
53:02 So we've done a lot of research on what toys to get kids,
53:05 and we have our partners come in and talk to us.
53:08 So all of our advertisers, as you'll see on our website,
53:11 go to our website, take a look at 'em.
53:13 And so, you know, it grows, and the amount of people,
53:15 like for Chicanos Puerto El Caso,
53:19 we're up to eight families of each one of 'em,
53:22 and they go out and go shopping for those families.
53:24 For the 100 Club, eight families.
53:27 So we keep multiplying and growing every year,
53:30 bigger and bigger.
53:31 So we try to figure out, you know,
53:33 and sometimes we just don't give toys, right?
53:36 'Cause if kids need something else, a toy may not be it.
53:40 So we've gone into doing, you know,
53:42 maybe a bed frame or a mattress for, you know,
53:46 just getting back into the swing of things.
53:49 We don't vet it, we let our partners vet it.
53:52 - Well, and I'm gonna interrupt you there
53:53 because you know what is also so amazing?
53:54 'Cause I've gotten to talk with a lot of our partners
53:57 throughout this whole thing
53:58 and really gotten to learn what all we do.
54:00 And it's not just the kids.
54:02 Sometimes it's also other members of the family.
54:04 Sometimes it's a spouse or it may be an aunt or uncle.
54:08 Someone in that family who needs a little bit
54:10 of that Christmas spirit.
54:11 And that's why it's so beautiful because yes,
54:13 we're giving these gifts to children
54:14 and lighting up their Christmas,
54:16 but it's for the whole family, right?
54:18 - Fantastic, yes, you're right.
54:19 I mean, Eric with Helping Hands for Freedom
54:21 has come through and has helped families over the years.
54:25 And each year we tried to figure out
54:27 how to do it a little bit bigger, a little bit better.
54:29 With your help, we can always grow bigger, right?
54:32 And it's so much fun.
54:34 It is, it's fun to be with the partners
54:35 and we just have our advertising partners come in
54:38 and wanna work side by side with us.
54:40 We had a bunch of police in the other day.
54:43 - You know, I know I was there
54:44 and I was gonna bring that up
54:45 because that was such an amazing experience
54:48 to be in the station with everyone rapping.
54:51 The energy and the Christmas spirit was so beautiful.
54:55 - It came from this small to what you saw.
54:58 And you guys on the mix, this is fantastic.
55:01 I mean, the mix is such a huge part of this
55:04 because you go out to the community,
55:05 you talk to the community and the community talks to you.
55:08 So I wanna say thank you, Lexi.
55:09 And that guy, Brad, right?
55:11 Yeah, Brad, right.
55:12 And all the team behind you, but the AZ Daily Mix,
55:16 I'm proud of everybody
55:17 'cause it just goes back to the community.
55:19 This is fantastic.
55:20 - Well, Rick, thank you for saying that
55:21 because we're so honored to be a part of this.
55:23 It's such a beautiful event.
55:24 And really we are inspired and empowered through you guys.
55:28 It all comes down from the top
55:29 and we have an amazing team just putting everything together
55:32 and it's such a special night.
55:33 So Rick, thank you so much, but-
55:35 - One more, okay?
55:37 I have to do a shout out to the person
55:38 that really lets us do all of this.
55:40 It's a fantastic opportunity.
55:42 To our boss, Lynn London, over the years,
55:45 the owner of the station, thank you so much
55:48 for letting us have this much fun
55:50 and help this many people, right?
55:52 - She is truly the best,
55:54 but everybody at the station is amazing.
55:55 Lynn, we love you.
55:56 Thank you so much for empowering us to do this.
55:59 And Rick, thank you.
56:01 We have more of this special night coming up for you
56:03 from the Phoenix Zoo Zoo Lights right after this.
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58:42 - Lexi, what an amazing night here at the Phoenix Zoo.
58:56 - I know, it really was.
58:57 You know, seeing all these families come together
58:59 and just enjoying this night, it was really beautiful.
59:02 It was honestly, it got me a little emotional.
59:04 - Yeah, and that's what the toy drive is all about.
59:06 Giving back to those who are in need,
59:08 especially our military families.
59:09 - Absolutely, yeah.
59:10 - And we talked to, of course, the general.
59:12 We talked to Eric, we've talked with Jeff.
59:15 - I talked with some families from SOS,
59:17 which was honestly, it was really beautiful,
59:18 and they shared their story with us.
59:20 It was so cool.
59:20 - It was, and again, we thank you out there,
59:23 our sponsors and everyone for making this possible.
59:25 We thank you for joining us,
59:27 and from channel seven to your family,
59:30 - Happy holidays. - Happy holidays.
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59:41 you