Sky Blues load up the team coach with presents for Childrens' Ward at University Hospital
Coventry City's first team squad helped spread some extra Christmas cheer last week when they built up a cash kitty for presents for children at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire.
The Sky Blues made their annual Christmas trip to the hospital's Childrens' Ward to spend time with youngsters who will be spending the festive season away from home as part of the hospital's Santa' Sack charity appeal.
City made it extra special though by having a private whip-round in the dressing room and spending it all on gifts for the ward which they took with them to the visit last Thursday (December 15).
Club captain Carl Baker organised the collection which bought an X-Box 360 and a handful of games for the ward's communal room as well as five sacks full of toys with the help of The Entertainer toy store, in Solihull, who kindly gave a discount off the purchases.
Baker said: "Being professional footballers we're in a privileged position so we all thought it was important that we did something nice for the kids at Christmas.
"I love this time of year because you stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about others and you never get bored of the smiles from young kids when you come to visit them as a football player.
"You can't imagine how it feels for parents and their children to be in hospital over Christmas, a time when you should be home with your family, so we thought if we could help make it a bit easier we would do that."
The City skipper also added a special thanks to The Entertainer toy store for their help in picking the presents and giving a discount.
"They were brilliant to be fair. One of the ladies came round the store with me and made some suggestions to make sure we got presents that would be good for children of all different ages and then when it came to paying for them they also gave us a discount so a thank you also has to go to them."