2025 Holiday Season
29th Annual Christmas in the Wards
A Legacy of Giving: Larry Huggins Shares the History of Christmas in the Wards
The season of giving is upon us, and there’s no better time to celebrate the spirit of generosity, community, and hope that defines Chicago! As we prepare for our 29th Annual Christmas in the Wards Spectacular, I’m filled with excitement and gratitude for nearly three decades of serving families across Chicagoland.
This year, perhaps more than ever, we recognize how important it is to lift one another. In these trying times, supporting families with gifts, essentials, and moments of joy reminds us what the holidays are truly about—coming together to care for our neighbors and build a stronger community.
From our sponsors, volunteers, and community partners to every family we’ve had the honor to serve, thank you for keeping the magic of Christmas alive. Let’s make this 29th celebration our most joyful and impactful yet—because when Chicago gives, Chicago shines!
Giving in Action
Christmas in the Wards Englewood Food Giveaway
Christmas in the Wards Brings Hope to Englewood Amid SNAP Benefit Pause
A 2024 Like No Other! Let's Recap
2024 IMPACTS:
Making A Difference
625
Families Served
40
Chicago Wards
Participating
5
Proviso Townships
Participating
1
Kankakee County
2500
Coats Given
150
Laptops & Bikes
$30K
In Food Security
5,000
Donated Toys
Shopping with the Wards
Christmas in Southland
The Reason For The Season
A Message From Our Founder
Christmas in the Wards continues its mission to broaden its reach and serve the diverse and culturally rich communities and the families and students that comprise them throughout Chicago. Historically marginalized, hard-to-count communities know all too well the realities of access gaps in goods and services, inequities in resources, and the struggles of resiliency in their neighborhoods.
We know that families strive 365 days a year, yet the strains are felt most during the holiday season, what we collectively call “the most wonderful time of the year.” As disparities widen for so many our mission deepens to bridge needs through clothing and essentials for families, laptops and tutoring services for students, food and nutrition support, and special gifts from Santa to aid families, ease burdens, and spread the true spirit and meaning of Christmas.
Our very first Christmas event in 1996 took place in a small gym, where we gathered with about 50 families from Chicago’s Englewood community—the very neighborhood that helped shape me as a youth. By 2021, we proudly celebrated our 25th anniversary with our largest all-city Christmas event to date, expanding our reach to include families from the Proviso communities. That year, we hosted 1,200 families from 43 Chicago South, West, and North Side wards at our Laptops on the Lane celebration at Soldier Field. Last year, Christmas in the Wards grew even further, welcoming the Kankakee area’s Hopkins Park community for its inaugural Christmas in the Southland Spectacular—a tradition we are thrilled to continue this year as we spread joy and opportunity to even more families across the region.
Our motto is it takes a city to do what we do, and with your support, our mission continues. We hope you join us!
With Gratitude,
Larry Huggins
What We Do
Each year we work with our civic leaders, schools, business, and community partners throughout Chicago to bring the spirit of the season to hard-working families, deserving students, and our youth. We dedicate 100% of our resources for the sole purpose to serve.
We accomplish this by selecting with our aldermen over 100 deserving families each year from the wards of Chicago who would otherwise go without not only toys-but essentials like food and clothing. We partner with civic leaders and public officials like Congressman Rush each year to give over 50 laptops to college-bound freshman who achieve academic excellence in their secondary education and students who excel in extracurricular endeavors. In 2016 the entire Wendell Phillips Academy football team, Chicago’s first public school team winning the state football title, received laptops from Christmas in the Wards.
Civic Testimonials
"When we join hands, remembering the gifts that we have been granted throughout our lives, we can similarly be of service and ensure that the spirit of the holidays remains alive for all, no matter their circumstances. From a small Englewood gymnasium to a city-wide celebration of community, Christmas in the Wards is an annual testament of the power of generosity. Happy Holidays and may your new year bring you love and happiness."
— JB Pritzker
Governor, State of Illinois
“I am grateful to celebrate another holiday season with Christmas in the Wards. Now in its 23rd year, this is a tradition I look forward to each year because of the joy it brings to communities while also providing vital opportunities for scholarships, education tools, and technology to transform lives.”
— Toni Preckwinkle
President, Cook County Board of Commissioners
“I encourage everyone to take the time to think about how you can be a better neighbor to those in need and to reach out and volunteer in your neighborhoods and across the city to help everyone enjoy their own holiday season as best they can.”
— Lori Lightfoot
52nd Mayor, City of Chicago
