LAPD gives away 1,000 pairs of shoes to South Los Angeles children

LOS ANGELES -- Santa Claus and his helpers at the Los Angeles Police Department gave out more than 1,000 pairs of shoes to needy children in South L.A. Tuesday night.

A handful of fresh snow brought out the smiles as the LAPD's 77th Street Station transformed into a holiday playground, complete with a wintery scene that provided hours of fun for kids in the community.

For many, it was their first time playing in the snow.

"My kids love the snow and it's too far to take them to the mountains so having them play right here in the snow, they're just enjoying themselves," said parent Montserrat Correa.

The special guest star of the evening parked his sleigh and landed on the rooftop in a helicopter, thrilling the hundreds of kids in the crowd.

The LAPD partnered with businesses and collected donations from department employees for this event known as "Operation Shoes from Santa."

The kids were happy to go home with gifts from Santa Claus and everybody enjoyed the party.