CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Corpus Christi hotel is asking for the public's help Tuesday night in assisting a family that was struck by tragedy in the summer.
3News talked with employees at the Embassy Suites about their efforts to bring the spirit of Christmas to four children who recently lost their mom.
For four children it will be their first Christmas without their mother.
In July, 32-year-old Sonja Munoz and her four children were in their SUV on I-37 near Mathis when their tire blew out. Munoz and two of the kids were ejected from their SUV.
Munoz died, and her children spent months in the hospital with her nine-year-old daughter suffering some of the worst injuries.
"She is physically and mentally disabled, and she was in the hospital here in Corpus for about a good two months before they transferred her to San Antonio," said Dorina Perez, banquet captain at Embassy Suites.
Perez is a childhood friend of Munoz and says all four children now live with their grandmother.
"This Christmas she didn't know if she was going to be able to make it. if she was going to be able to do a Christmas for them or not," Perez said.
Hoping to save Christmas, Perez went to her general manager at Embassy Suites Corpus Christi.
"Immediately I said, let's do it. I didn't hesitate and wanted to help," Melody Nixon-Bice said.
In 2018, Embassy Suites hosted a family for Christmas and gifted them with a free suite, food, and gifts to unwrap on Christmas Day.
"We're inviting the community to come out and donate unwrapped gifts as well as monetary donations, and that will go towards making the holidays special for this family," Nixon-Bice said.
Embassy Suites Corpus Christi will host their Santa's workshop from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15.
"You can take pictures with Santa Claus. We're going to have some activities — hot cocoa. Pancakes," Nixon-Bice said.
"They're seeing how the community cares and how you know we are gonna come together and make something happen for them," Perez said.
The children's Christmas list can be found below:
16-year-old Jason
Anything
Crocs Size 11.5
Gift cards
9-year-old Paulina (Size 10-11)
JoJo Siwa toys or clothes
Descendants
Unicorns
American girl doll
L.O.L dolls
4-year-old Nayeli (Size 4t)
Peppa Pig
Frozen
Barbie
Baby dolls
Toy Story
2-year-old Simon (Size 3-4t)
Paw Patrol
Dinosaurs
Pj Masks
Cars 3
Pamper size 5 and wipes
More from 3News on KIIITV.com:
- Parents arrested after confrontation outside Tuloso-Midway Primary School
- 'I made the typo' | Galveston GOP chairwoman blames racist text message on fast typing
- '40 minutes of mayhem': North Texas father, 22, killed in home invasion after recent move to Michigan
- A guy ate that $120,000 banana duct-taped to an art gallery wall in Florida