Pancho Claus, a Houston icon recognized for giving 1000’s of toys to youngsters in want, is recovering from double bypass surgical procedure and can want a number of weeks of relaxation.
HOUSTON — Houstonians are rallying round Richard Reyes — in any other case often known as Pancho Claus. The vacation legend is recovering from a double bypass surgical procedure and can want a number of weeks of relaxation.
Whereas he recovers, a number of individuals are gathering toys for his trigger. On Sunday, two separate occasions had been held to gather toys for Pancho Claus’ donations.
On the Worldwide MarketPlace within the Greenspoint space, there may be another person donning the long-lasting zootsuit and hat.
“Once I met Richard Reyes [Pancho Claus] six years in the past, I mentioned man, the sneakers are too huge to fill,” Mike Gomez, who goes by Paz Claus, mentioned.
Gomez mentioned was known as to fill in. He spent the afternoon taking pictures with youngsters and gathering toys. Gomez, who’s a pastor with One Church Alvin, shared his response to studying about Reyes’ coronary heart surgical procedure.
“Immediately I started to hope for him that he has a speedy restoration,” Gomez mentioned.
With the vacations arriving, it means toy collections and donation drives are underway.
At JV Ranch Ice Home, the Velocity Baseball group held a donation drive for Pancho Claus and for the HERO Program of Mission One USA.
For Carrie Rosas, gathering toys for Pancho Claus is significant to her.
“Pancho Claus, he would come out to my faculty after I was in elementary faculty. He’s set the usual on how necessary it’s to present again to these youngsters who want it,” Rosas mentioned.
We spoke to Pancho Claus final week earlier than his anticipated surgical procedure. Initially, he mentioned he believed a stent would should be positioned. As an alternative, open coronary heart surgical procedure was carried out and it’ll take a number of weeks to get better.
Volunteers like Gomez wish to assist attain the purpose of delivering 20,000 toys to youngsters in Houston and within the Rio Grande Valley. They need Reyes to place his well being first.
“Relaxation, take it simple. As a result of his legacy has been constructed and different folks have stepped as much as volunteer and [have] taken motion. Issues are occurring as if he was right here,” Gomez mentioned.
Anybody can study extra by visiting his GoFundMe web page.
