Good-hearted girl STAFF PHOTO BY DAN PARKER Gabriella Hanmore, 8, is planning on giving all of her birthday gifts to the Port Aransas Emergency Services Toy Round Up.
Guests won’t bring gifts for Gabriella Hanmore when she has her eighth birthday party tomorrow, Nov. 30, at Port A Pizzeria.
And that’s the way Gabriella wants it.
The H.G. Olsen Elementary School second grader has handed out written invitations to more than 60 Port Aransas children to bring gifts only so that she may pass them on as donations to the 10th annual Port Aransas Emergency Services Toy Round Up, a program that helps lower income families in Port Aransas provide Christmas toys for their children.
Gabriella is the daughter of Erol and Laurie Hanmore. Laurie Hanmore said she and her daughter were watching a local television news segment about a Corpus Christi toy drive when Gabriella suddenly had an idea.
“She just started talking about her birthday party and how she has so many toys and doesn’t need so many,” Hanmore said. “We talked about it, and she just wants to give her birthday presents to (the Toy Round Up),” Hanmore said.
“I feel sorry for those kids who don’t have very much,” Gabriella told the South Jetty.
(By the way, the Hanmores did not contact the South Jetty about their plans. A South Jetty reporter asked the Hanmores for an interview after hearing about Gabriella’s planned party from a Hanmore family friend.)
Hanmore wasn’t completely shocked by her daughter’s decision to forgo gifts. She said she almost has gotten used to Gabriella’s unusual maturity and kind-heartedness.
“She blows me away all the time,” Hanmore said. “I was touched (by Gabriella’s decision). I want to do whatever I can to help her.”
Gabriella formally has handed out written invitations to her entire second-grade class (about 40 students), her karate class (10 kids) and ballet class (10 dancers). In addition, Gabriella’s mother said anyone who reads this article should feel free to stop by Port A Pizzeria during the party, from 3:30 to 5 p.m., drop off a toy and have some pizza.
Toys should be in their original containers and not gift wrapped, according to guidelines issued by the Port Aransas Emergency Services Toy Round Up. Hanmore said she will drop the toys with Port Aransas Emergency Services after the party.
Debbie Bridges, manager at Port A Pizzeria, said her restaurant is glad to be a part of the party and charity effort. Bridges’ own daughter got one of the invitations.
“When I read that invitation, I was really surprised,” Bridges said. “Just to see such a young girl make that kind of decision and be so unselfish, to give up all the presents and everything, I was like, wow!”
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