Heat’s Chris Bosh plays Santa Claus

Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat spent his Saturday afternoon giving back at the fifth annual Christmas with Chris Bosh event.

Over 200 children from Chapman Partnership Homeless Shelter, After School All Stars, Voices for Children, The Boys & Girls Club of Miami, Big Brothers of America, Best Buddies and the Each One Teach One Reach One Program filled Game Time Miami in Sunset Place to play games, receive toys and meet the Miami Heat forward.

“It’s always great,” said Bosh. “Just to see the kids having a good time, hanging out with their friends and having a couple of gifts. I think they appreciate it.”

The kids spent the early afternoon downstairs in the game room before groups of them made their way upstairs to “Santa Bosh’s Workshop”. Each group of kids had their own chant as they made their way up the stairs. They ranged everywhere from “Let’s go Heat” to the Seven Nation Army chant that has become so famous at the American Airlines Arena.

Once upstairs, the kids were greeted with a signed basketball from Bosh and were allowed to take their fill from the mountains of toys and sweets on the tables.

Bosh and his wife Adrienne have been putting on this event every year since he landed in Miami as a free-agent in 2010. The Boshes are no strangers to kids. The couple already has three and is expecting two more in Spring 2016.

“It grows every year,” said Adrienne “Chris and I knew when we first came to Miami that we wanted to make a difference in the local community.”

The kids all had a blast but the biggest smile in the room all afternoon was Bosh’s.

“The sport of basketball has allowed to travel the world, it’s allowed me to take care of my family and it’s allowed me to do cool things like this. It’s important to do something because not everyone is as luck as we are and I don’t take that lightly.”

This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 7:38 PM with the headline "Heat’s Chris Bosh plays Santa Claus."