Comedian Chris Tucker surprises Henry County students with Christmas gifts

HENRY COUNTY, Ga. — Hundreds of Henry County students and their families got the surprise of a lifetime Thursday afternoon, showing up to Henry County Middle School where bags of Christmas gifts were waiting for them.

Yolanda Owens and her 4- and 5-year-old were among the 300 Henry County families who found bags of brand-new Christmas presents waiting for them at the school.

“I’m overwhelmed. I’m thankful,” Owens said. “They would have had something, but it just wouldn't have been this big.”

The other surprise was, comedian Chris Tucker and his foundation were the secret Santa behind it all.

“I’ve watched every movie he had. I’m a big fan it’s just shocking,” Owens told Channel 2’s Alyssa Hyman.

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“We raise money all year to do things like this and if anybody needs something we want to help out,” Tucker said.

The Atlanta-born comedian said he pulled all the gifts together for the hundreds of kids in less than six days.

“The little we can do, if that makes them happy, it makes me happy,” Tucker said.

Helping so many families feel less stressed leading up to the holidays

“It’s the end of the year. With Christmas on the 25, rent is due that next week. It’s like, ‘What do you do?’ You don't want them to be sad and you don't want to give them nothing neither. So, you have to balance it all out. This just balanced everything out. This is going to be awesome,” Owens told Hyman.

Owens said when she signed her kids up for the Christmas wish list at the beginning of the year, she had no idea her kids would get just so many toys.

Tucker had a little help from his mother and sister as well.

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