Soccer club subs for Santa

More than 50 area children that might have missed a visit from Santa this year were the recipients of Christmas gifts, courtesy of the Utah Avalanche Soccer Club.

In conjunction with the United Way, the soccer club “adopted” the children to provide necessities and gifts for this holiday season. Teams and families were invited to sponsor children by shopping for the gifts and clothing items. On Dec. 12, more than 350 people -- including players, ages 7 to 18, and their families -- wrapped those gifts at Juan Diego Catholic High School. The gifts were then delivered by the teams to the families they sponsored.

“Giving back to the community is an important aspect of our club,” said Joanna Barney, executive director of the Utah Avalanche Soccer Club. “The Sub for Santa program provides an opportunity for our families and players to help others out during a special time of year. I’m excited that so many of our teams and players wanted to contribute.”