Feast with a Hero kicks off tight fundraising window for annual Holiday with a Hero program

Take a break from your holiday shopping to enjoy a meal served by local first responders this Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 at the 7th annual Feast with a Hero at Bodines Restaurant, 5650 S. Carson St, in Carson City.

Saturday's event kicks off two primary fundraising efforts for Holiday with a Hero, (https://www.holidaywithahero.com) a program that partners with local organizations and individuals to help underprivileged children in Carson City have a proper Christmas.

Over the next month, Holiday with a Hero will work toward raising its goal of $30,000 to give local underprivileged school children a shopping experience Dec. 17 at Walmart.

The community is invited to join in Saturday's fundraiser at Bodines Restaurant for breakfast or lunch. Feast with a Hero is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. No tickets or RSVP required. All money raised Saturday will go to Holiday with a Hero.

Guests will be served with a delicious meal served by local law enforcement and firefighters in efforts to raise money so that children in Carson City who are most in need — often whose families are without secure housing — have a proper Christmas.

Saturday's Feast with a Hero came about seven years ago when Bodines approached Holiday with a Hero co-founder, Assistant Carson City Sheriff Daniel Gonzales, telling him they wanted to give to the program. From that day on, Feast with a Hero has flourished.

"They said, 'we want to support you anyway we can, and here's an idea we have.' It was so wonderful what they had in mind and we ran with it, now in our seventh year," said Gonzales. "What Bodines has done for us — opening their restaurant and letting us take it over for a day — is a huge part of our program, around 30 percent of it. We couldn't do what we've done without Bodines. We're absolutely grateful for what they do."

CELEBRATE CAPITOL CHRISTMAS TREE CELEBRATION WITH COCOA WITH A HERO

The second community fundraiser — Cocoa with a Hero — is Dec. 5, during the annual Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights in downtown Carson City. 

Those set on going downtown for the annual lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree can grab a cup of cocoa or something a little stronger to stay warm from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. during the celebration at the Capitol. There will be booths set up in front of City Hall and at McFadden Plaza.

HOLIDAY WITH HERO GOAL IS TO GIVE CHILDREN $120 GIFT CARDS

The Holiday with a Hero shopping day is Wednesday, Dec. 17. This year, approximately 250 K-8 Carson City students will be given a $120 gift card to shop with a uniformed local hero at Walmart.

Holiday with a Hero was co-founded by Daniel's wife, Meliah Gonzales, Sgt. Marshal for the First Judicial Marshal's Division. She explained that in previous years, the children selected for the program had received $100 gift cards to shop. Last year, the amount was increased to $120 gift cards and the goal is to keep it at that level. 

"With everything becoming more expensive, we had to bump it up to $120 for each child," said Meliah Gonzales. "We feel that $100 doesn't support their needs because everything now costs more. With the community's support, we really want to reach this goal. That's why the Bodines Feast with a Hero, the Cocoa with a Hero during the Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights and the community's support in donations now through Dec. 17 is so important."

With this tight fundraising window, Holiday with a Hero is asking for any donations, large or small, to be made soon. 

The demand continues to grow every year and without the support of our community and local businesses, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do, said Daniel Gonzales.

"Whether it's $5, $10, $20 or larger, all donations are needed, welcomed and appreciated," he said. "We've had people already come up to us and apologize saying they can only afford $5 or $10 this year because of their circumstances. We've said, 'there's no need to apologize, your donation matters in a big way.'"

COMMUNITY DONATIONS IS WHAT KEEPS PROGRAM GOING

During these more than two decades of shopping events, the generosity of the community through Holiday with a Hero has provided more than $450,000 worth of services to Carson City children.

Monetary donations are collected and dispersed to designated and pre-qualified students as Walmart gift cards. Local police, fire, medical and military leaders guide the students through the store to spend their money on gifts for the students and their families. The gifts are then wrapped and sent back to the student's school.

Before the shopping day in December, Holiday with a Hero holds multiple fundraisers to generate funding for the annual shopping day. Please follow our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/holidaywithahero/) for the latest information on our fundraisers.

If you have questions about whether or not your children qualify for our shopping program, please contact your child's teacher or social worker for more information.

Interested donors and volunteers can contact Assistant Sheriff Daniel Gonzales with the Carson City Sheriff's Office at (775) 283-7803 or carsonholidaywithahero@gmail.com.

Follow us at our website https://www.holidaywithahero.com on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/holidaywithahero/) and Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/holidaywithahero/) to see other ways to donate and support our program.