Andre Johnson pays for $16K Toys R Us spree for local kids in protective services

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Even though the Houston Texans had the day off, wide receiver Andre Johnson was busy making holiday wishes come true.

On Tuesday, Johnson visited a Toys "R" Us near NRG Stadium and greeted 11 children in the care of the Harris County Department of Family Protective Services. The deal: The kids, ages 8-16, had 80 seconds to fill a shopping cart with whatever their hearts desired and Johnson would foot the bill, the Houston Chronicle reports.

The shopping spree has become a tradition of sorts for Johnson, as he has hosted one each year since 2007, ESPN says.

After the kids gathered all that they could, with the help of Texans cheerleaders, they lined up at the registers with stuffed animals, playsets, "Frozen" dolls and WWE toys, the Houston Chronicle says.



While the several toys were being rung up, Johnson took photos with bystanders and the kids. All was going smoothly, and then Johnson realized he left his wallet in the car, the Houston Chronicle retells.

After retrieving his credit card, Johnson went from register to register, swiping and signing. One register reached $3,338.01 and kept running, the Houston Chronicle says.

The final bill was a grand total of $16,266.26.

Johnson's Foundation, the Andre Johnson Charitable Foundation, funded the spree, Yahoo! Sports reports. Though the foundation holds many charitable events for children, Johnson says the Toys "R" Us event is his favorite.

"I think it's probably the best one because you get to see the kids really enjoy it," Johnson says. "That's what this season is about. It's something I look forward to. The kids are happy, they get what they want for Christmas, and that's all that matters."




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