Christmas surprises aren’t reserved for late December. Antonio Dumas, owner of To The Moon in Wilton Manors, took over the role of Santa and brought holiday cheer to hundreds of first responders in South Florida.
He created 700 gift bags at his store, and gave them away at area hospitals, police and fire stations.
“I knew that first responders were going through a tougher time than anybody, going through major risks,” he told SFGN. “I wanted to make them happy if they were having a bad day.”
Dumas brought 100 bags each to seven spots from Hollywood to Boca Raton. He says it was his empathy with first responders that inspired the holiday giveaway.
“I was working through the whole pandemic and I knew others that were working. I knew that first responders were going through a tougher time than anybody, going through major risks. I wanted to make them happy if they were having a bad day.”
To The Moon is stocked with lots of hard-to-find candies and collectibles. The unique candies were very popular with bag recipients.
“Candy, snacks, chips. Anything where you open the bag and it makes you smile.”
And he says the sweeter, the better.
“No fruit or anything, you can get that anywhere. We are about sugar!”
Stocking Stuffers & Surprises
Retro and classic merchandise fills To The Moon’s display windows and shelves. For holiday trends this year, he sees four familiar faces: Rose, Blanche, Dorothy, and Sophia.
“Golden Girls is always huge. Even the younger generation knows the Golden Girls now. Fleece blankets and shot glasses, puzzles have been big because of the pandemic.”
The pandemic is also driving culinary curiosity.
“Anything for the kitchen. A lot of people are home cooking more. They’re using more than they did before.”
Dumas says what’s old is always new again.
“Classics are coming back, like the Garbage Pail Kids. Oven mitts and dish towels, for the last couple years, have been huge. We sell hundreds of them. Fun for any age group.”
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