49ers give back with early Thanksgiving celebration

The San Francisco 49ers celebrating the holiday season a little bit early tonight. This evening, quarterback Brock Purdy and some of his teammates welcome more than a dozen families to Levi's for an annual charity event. As KTVU's Amber Lee reports, it was a treat for the families as well as the players. The excitement was palpable on Tuesday as dozens of families visited the 49ers team store at Levi's Stadium for the annual Feast with the 49ers, a charitable event where the team gives back to the community. More than a dozen players volunteered for this pre-Thanksgiving event that includes a shopping spree. This one is small. Players are paired up with participants. Each child receives $200 to spend on merchandise, all offered at half price. One 10th grader from Oakland says he's impressed by the players spending time with the families. I appreciate them, you know, for coming out. Showing they're being there for everybody. Defensive tackle CJ West says this event is a way to show appreciation to fans. All the people that support us, that show up to these games, that's cheering us on, we always feel that energy from them. And giving back to us is kind of the way of saying thanks. I got a blanket. This 10-year-old is from Modesto. The event serves families with children ranging from 3 to 18 years old. It was amazing. I loved it. They're so small on TV, but then they're so big in real life. The Niners partnered with five Bay Area nonprofits to select underserved families. Linebacker Garrett Wilson brought his 8-month-old baby to the event. He tells me he and his sisters were raised by a single mom. We didn't have much. We didn't have probably enough. to give, but we still gave, and so that's why I really love coming to these events and giving back as much as I can. The players broke bread with the families, and the team provided groceries for a Thanksgiving meal. Families say they're grateful for the entire experience. We wouldn't be able to afford this on our own. We're planning on hopefully taking the kids to their first game next year, but we do have to save up. This mom of two says she couldn't believe that her family was paired up with quarterback Brock Purdy for this event. I caught up with him as he signed autographs for fans. It's the least that we could do to come out here and spend time with them, give them some hope and something to smile and share about during the holiday season. What we do as football players and stuff is cool and everything, but it's not what really matters. What really matters is your family, loving everybody in your community well, and we get to do that today. I respect them for that. It means a lot. It means a lot. The families tell me they're grateful for all the gifts that the 49ers gave to them on this day. But they say the most precious gift of all is the unique experience of interacting with the players one-on-one. In Santa Clara, Amber Lee, KTVU, Fox 2 News.