Chuy's parade and toy drive held downtown

Hundreds lined the streets of downtown Austin to celebrate a very special event, today.
It didn't take long for little Avery Hernandez to get moving.

From there she just kept on going. The cold weather didn't stop her.

“Her battery runs on high all day long,” Steven Hernandez, father, said.

She was one among the hundreds who came out to the Chuy's Children Giving to Children parade. The parade is also a toy drive. The Hernandez family bundled up, and brought some brand new toys to give to those who may not have the Christmas every child deserves.

“It's unfortunate there are still people who can't afford the basic things in life. It's great that, just a simple small gift, it wasn't anything for us to give it and it's going to warm someone's heart,” Hernandez said.

Everyone from the Very Hungry Caterpillar, to Darth Vader, Shrek, and Santa himself all were in attendance. While little Avery was having a blast, her dad reflected on the Christmases he always had.

“I came from a poor family, sometimes we had a hard time with Christmas, and it was great when someone reached out to us,” he said.

The A.P.D. Blue Santa sponsored parade hopes children around Austin can have the same smiles  on their faces this Christmas, like little Avery's.