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By John DentonDec. 24, 2015
ORLANDO – For a kid, nothing is greater than having a gift to open on Christmas morning. And for a parent, nothing is greater than having a home where those kids can feel safe and the family can be together as one.
Thanks to the generosity of the Orlando Magic and power forward Channing Frye, Christina Alvarez, her three children and two grandchildren will have both presents on Christmas morning and a secure place to live during the holiday season and beyond.
“All of this came out perfect because we’re going to have a good Christmas and we’re going to get a home again. It’s the best Christmas gift that anyone could ever give to a family with kids,” Alvarez said Wednesday morning after a surprise ceremony in which her children were showered with gifts. “With what we’re going through, this is amazing … more than amazing, actually.”
Alvarez was at the Amway Center on Wednesday – not for her part-time job as a suite supervisor for Levy Restaurants, but for what she thought was an audition for her daughters to appear in a television commercial with the Magic mascot, Stuff. Her daughters, ages 18, 12 and 10 practiced a routine for the commercial, but they never got to display their acting skills when they were told that Frye instead had gifts for them.
Frye, who is in his second season in Orlando, approached Magic representatives recently about helping a down-on-its-luck family pay its bills and for gifts during Christmas. When he learned that Alvarez had recently lost her apartment because of an eviction and that the two youngest children in the family wouldn’t be getting presents this Christmas, Frye and his wife, Lauren, sprung into action. They bought toys, such a bicycles, books, action figures and clothes. And Frye also awarded the family with a check for $2,500 – money that will be used by the family to put down the security deposit and the first month’s rent on a new apartment.
“It’s pretty special to be in a position to do something like this,” Frye said. “My wife and I were talking about our kids and imagining what it might be like if we weren’t able to make them happy on Christmas. We’re in a situation to bless other people and we should do that more often. The Orlando Magic does a great job of putting us in positions to be able to help people and when it comes to hard times we all understand it.
“We’ve all had that tough birthday or Christmas when you get that knitted sweater,” Frye continued. “The biggest issue is, `How can I do more?’ Whether things are going right or wrong on the court, I still want to make sure that I’m making an impact on the community and making someone’s holiday’s great.”
Frye has a 5-year-old son (Hendrix) and a 3-year-old daughter (Margaux) and he said it would be heart-breaking to him to imagine them not being happy on Christmas morning. Frye said that no parent or child should ever have to go through such a thing, so he wanted to try and make a difference in the lives of a family such as the Alvarezes.
“I couldn’t imagine kids not having a good Christmas. We all have to do something little – whether it’s going to a soup kitchen or giving an extra $5 to a homeless person. It’s just that kind of attitude that we all need to have,” Frye said. “I’m a dad and a parent and a husband and I know how hard it is sometimes to provide for not only yourself, but four other people. I know what my parents did to help me get here. So if I can just help them get that boost as they’re going through hard times, I want to do it. For kids to be able to open some presents on Christmas, man that’s huge. It’s just about giving. I hope this lasts for them for a long time and hopefully they get over the hump and hopefully they become Magic fans.”
The marriage between Alvarez, the Magic and Frye was made possible by Tina Nugent, a suite attendant for Levy Restaurants. Co-workers the past few years, Nugent listened to Alvarez talk about losing her apartment and how her children wouldn’t be having presents this Christmas and she wanted to do something about it. She contacted Magic assistant director of community relations, Latria Leak, for assistance. Leak paired up Alvarez and Frye, and Nugent got to look on on Wednesday as the children were given gifts they otherwise wouldn’t have gotten this Christmas.
“After I spoke to Christina about her situation and we prayed about it I had this feeling that I needed to contact someone. I knew that every year the Magic does something for a family outside of the arena,” Nugent said. “Honestly, to God be the glory of it all. If I can be used at all to make someone else’s life happier, by all means use me. They deserve it. I’ve been working with Christina for five years and (her family) deserves it.”
While battling back tears several times, Alvarez said the money given to her by Frye will allow her to bring her family back together once again. The stress and strain of the past few weeks landed her in the hospital recently because of anxiety issues. Instead, there will be nothing but joy now as the family wakes up together on Christmas morning and has gifts to open.
“Having people out there, like my good friend Tina, she has touched me and she always tells me, `God is good.’ She’s right because He works his miracles in different ways and when you least expect it. That’s what I felt today – I least expected all of this,” Alvarez said. “It all is really overwhelming. With everything that I am going through right now, this is a blessing. Me being a single mom and working for Levy for the past five years, this is beyond a blessing and I wasn’t expecting this. I appreciate everything that the Magic have done for us.”
