Christmas Cheer
Track star Jarrion Lawson plays Santa to L-E children
It was controlled Christmas chaos Friday at Liberty-Eylau’s Rader Dome, where Olympic standout Jarrion Lawson returned to his alma mater to give $20,000 in toys to area children.
The former L-EHS track star coordinated with Toys R Us to have the toys shipped to the Rader Dome, where 124 lucky children went shopping for bikes, Nerf guns, dolls and Star Wars memorabilia. Some even won PlayStations and Nintendo systems through a raffle before the shopping began.
Lawson, who graduated from L-E in 2012, said he simply wanted to show his appreciation to the community that had given him so much.
“I love giving back. It’s just one of my passions to give back to my community that gave to me and helped me rise up,” the track star said. “Just to see the smiles on kids’ faces is something that’s just priceless.”
He said he had lots of help getting the event together and making it larger than it was last year, when he worked with Walmart to give toys to 35 children.
“It takes a team,” he said. “I have a team of ladies from Mount Orange Baptist Church, and they helped put it all together from registration to trucking to deliveries and picking out toys.”
He lives in Fayetteville, Ark., and is training there with a college coach, but he said he tries to come home a few times a year to see his family, especially at Christmas.
“This is me, this is what built me, it’s who I am,” Lawson said. “To do it for the kids is a great thing. I’ve always known to to give back and now I’m in a position to give back.”
Sidney Price, who graduated from L-E with Lawson in 2012, said he volunteered to help with the toy distribution Friday because the pair go way back.
“We’re best friends,” he said. “I ran summer track with him and I remember when he first started. It’s been a wild ride with him.”
He said Lawson hasn’t changed, that he’s remained humble and that he’s never forgotten where he came from.
“Liberty-Eylau’s our home,” he said. “It feels good to be doing it for these kids.”
After working to give so much to so many, Lawson said he didn’t know what Santa was going to bring him Monday on Christmas Day.
“I didn’t ask Santa for anything this year,” he said. “I’m just going to be surprised.”