Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson might be known for amazing work on the field, but he also does some great things off the field as well.
During the holiday season, it is easy to forget all the people less fortunate than us. There are too many families that don’t have a roof over their heads or a way to figure out where their next meal will be coming from. While those are major problems with few solutions, Adrian Peterson and his family recently went out of their way to make sure that some needy children got a smile on their face for Christmas.
With Adrian dressed as Santa Claus and his wife as Mrs. Claus and their two children in tow, the Peterson family visited Mary’s Place in Minneapolis. Mary’s Place is a transitional shelter for homeless families which provides apartments for a limited time while the individuals attempt to get back on their feet.
The star running back’s family brought gifts for more than 420 children on that trip according to ESPN.com, which brought a lot of smiles to the face of children who are struggling through the holiday season.
"“I love to see smiles on kids’ faces, especially when you have kids that are less fortunate,” Peterson said. “When Christmastime comes around, they don’t know what to expect. They don’t think they’re getting anything. So to surprise kids, and see the smiles on their faces, and to be able to bless people, that’s what it’s all about.”"
Here is the video of Adrian Peterson as Santa Claus from the ESPN website.
It’s great to see a player of Peterson’s stature taking time out of his schedule to do great things for the less fortunate. And from the sound of the video above, it seems this is something that the star running back will be doing for many years to come.
"“This is definitely something we want to do yearly with the foundation,” Ashley Peterson said. “Christmas is my favorite holiday, so I want to make sure that, as many kids as we can help to have the best Christmas ever, I want to help those children.”"