HOUSTON — Houstonians are rallying around Richard Reyes -- otherwise known as Pancho Claus. The holiday legend is recovering from a double bypass surgery and will need several weeks of rest.
While he recovers, several people are collecting toys for his cause. On Sunday, two separate events were held to collect toys for Pancho Claus’ donations.
At the International MarketPlace in the Greenspoint area, there is someone else donning the iconic zootsuit and hat.
“When I met Richard Reyes [Pancho Claus] six years ago, I said man, the shoes are too big to fill,” Mike Gomez, who goes by Paz Claus, said.
Gomez said was called to fill in. He spent the afternoon taking photos with kids and collecting toys. Gomez, who is a pastor with One Church Alvin, shared his reaction to learning about Reyes’ heart surgery.
“Instantly I began to pray for him that he has a speedy recovery,” Gomez said.
With the holidays arriving, it means toy collections and donation drives are underway.
At JV Ranch Ice House, the Velocity Baseball organization held a donation drive for Pancho Claus and for the HERO Program of Mission One USA.
For Carrie Rosas, collecting toys for Pancho Claus is meaningful to her.
“Pancho Claus, he would come out to my school when I was in elementary school. He’s set the standard on how important it is to give back to those kids who need it,” Rosas said.
We spoke to Pancho Claus last week before his expected surgery. Initially, he said he believed a stent would need to be placed. Instead, open heart surgery was performed and it will take several weeks to recover.
Volunteers like Gomez want to help reach the goal of delivering 20,000 toys to kids in Houston and in the Rio Grande Valley. They want Reyes to put his health first.
“Rest, take it easy. Because his legacy has been built and other people have stepped up to volunteer and [have] taken action. Things are happening as if he was here,” Gomez said.
Anyone interested can learn more by visiting his GoFundMe page.