A convoy of vehicles, including University of Kentucky police cruisers paraded across UK's campus to the end of Rose Street, just outside Kentucky Children's Hospital. They were carrying piles of toys, donated during the annual "Cram the Cruiser" drive, and with toys collected in memory of Jonathan Ard, a Lexington native and Iraq War veteran who lost his battle with cancer in 2016.
Presley Ard is Jonathan's ten-year-old niece.
"So we do this toy drive in honor of him to keep his memory going."
Presley said the best way to honor her uncle is by bringing extra joy to children over the holidays, a cause near and dear to his heart.
"I think it means that they know they are loved and that they know that people are out there and they're willing to help them." Presley said, "And they're not alone in this battle."
UK Police Chief Joe Monroe, decked out in a crimson velvet suit, trimmed in fur and sporting a snow-white beard that took him nine months to grow, said a recent visit to the 'North Pole' helped him get ready to fill in for Saint Nick for this event.
"I went to Santa's workshop, and I talked to Santa. So, we had coffee. We fed the reindeer. We talked about what needs to be done. He told me the requirements for being a Santa stand-in. That's what we do," Monroe said. "We make sure that we get a wide variety of toys here for different age groups."
Officials with UK Hospital say parents and guardians will be able to choose gifts not only for young patients but also for siblings. This is the eighth year of the toy drive.