Thousands of gifts delivered to Oshkosh families as part of Pete’s Garage Toy Drive

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WBAY) - Headstart families in Oshkosh got a very special surprise on Wednesday afternoon.

Soldiers from the Army Reserve in Neenah delivered gifts from Pete’s Garage Toy Drive.

Those soldiers stepped up after the National Guard said last month that they could no longer help.

The Oshkosh bar raised money for those gifts through donations and the sale of drinks and alcohol.

This event has been bringing families holiday cheer for over a decade.

This year, Pete’s Garage delivered about 1,200 gifts, which means each kid will get about eight gifts.

Peter Haferman, the bar’s owner, says it’s an absolute joy to hand out those gifts every year.

“It’s awesome. We have a blast doing it every year. Seeing the kids and seeing how happy the families are, the kids are. The amount of hugs that you get and the amount of merry Christmases from a little three-year-old. It’s pretty awesome,” says Haferman.

Haferman also says it means the world to him to extend a helping hand during this season of giving.