Vikings Spread Holiday Cheer Through Coat Drives, Shopping Sprees & More

All Aboard the North Pole Express | by Rob Kleifield

“Oh no!” one little girl cried, “The Grinch stole our presents!”

Vikings rookies Levi Drake Rodriguez and Walter Rouse helped entertain about 75 youth from Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities on a recent merry train ride that ventured to the “North Pole.”

The event at Union Depot in St. Paul was organized by the Vikings Home Team, a philanthropic group formed by the wives and partners of coaches, players and training staff. Inviting the children, the majority 8 years or younger, was designed to spread holiday cheer and form memories around the giving season that withstand time.

Aboard the North Pole Express kids shouted and burst with excitement as all kinds of magical characters – fairies and elves and jugglers and Mr. and Mrs. Claus, amongst others – roamed through the seat aisles.

Even Viktor the Viking and a couple Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders made cameos.

“That was awesome!” Rodriguez exclaimed. “It brought joy to my night. I wasn’t in the best spirits and then I was with those little kids, and it reminded me of what Christmas is about: joy, love and happiness.

“I wish I could have done that growing up,” he said, adding a favorite childhood Christmas memory was cozying up by the tree at night. “The laughter, all the yells for Santa and the Grinch – it was a great time.”

‘Twas a rewarding evening for the children, whose engagement in educational mathematics and literacy programs at the Boys & Girls Clubs put them on the staff’s radar and landed each of them a ticket for the locomotive.

After loading onto vintage rail cars adorned with colorful lights, the train embarked on a short ride. Click-clack. Click-clack. A time-honored story arc started to construct on the other side of the windowpanes: The Grinch was stealing Christmas. But this interpretation had a twist.

With the train halted at “Santa’s Sleigh Repairs” in the North Pole, the hairy green antihero swiped one present after the next from Santa’s helpers and loaded them onto a golf cart. His escape was imminent.

Miraculously, however, The Grinch’s getaway stalled, and the presents were retrieved for a sigh of relief.

Aaron Jones, Sr., had a different vantage point than Rodriguez and Rouse, sitting in the front passenger car with Vikings veterans Garrett Bradbury, Blake Brandel, Sam Darnold, David Quessenberry, Lucky Jackson, Trent Sherfield, Sr., and Andrew Van Ginkel, along with various family and significant others.

When The Grinch began his heist, the holiday magic made its way to the northern tip of the train.

“It was an amazing experience,” Jones said, smiling. “That was my first time going to the North Pole. There was so much on the train – they had magicians, face painting; it was very interactive for the kids.”

And for the 30-year-old player, who was accompanied by his son, girlfriend, sister, niece and godmother.

“The whole show of watching The Grinch steal the presents really made it fun for the family,” Jones laughed, noting his favorite holiday gift was a pocket rocket motorcycle he received in the seventh grade.

“I got to be a kid again,” Jones’ eyes twinkled.