SPOKANE, Wash. — It's a known holiday fact. Santa Clause knows everything because he's making a list and checking it twice.
He also knows where to find the children at the Thrive Center in Spokane, who are experiencing a Christmas different from the ones they've known.
That's because all of them are from Ukraine.
"For all of these kids, it's their first Christmas here in the U.S. and many things are different," said Thrive International executive director Mark Finney. "The culture's different. Even the way the holidays work are a little different here in the states from where they came from in Ukraine."
To help them feel more at home, Thrive International hosted a Christmas celebration on Thursday. There, Santa handed presents out to the 50 kids at the Thrive Center.
After asking the community to help buy gifts for these children, Santa's sleigh was successfully filled to the brim to help make the kids' holiday more special.
"Our goal, our dream is that, for a little bit, kids would sort of forget about all the things that they've lost and be able to experience the magic of Christmas," said Finney.
Whether that's in Ukraine or here in Spokane, it's clear Santa's making sure these kids don't miss out on this holiday season.
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