Clovis family searching for secret Santa who dropped off special toy

Friday, December 26, 2014
Clovis family searching for secret Santa who dropped off special toy
A Clovis family is on the hunt to find a 3-year-old boy's secret Santa.

CLOVIS, Calif. -- A Clovis family is on the hunt to find a 3-year-old boy's secret Santa.

Christmas Day in the Hayer home was like most others, filled with toys. But it's one particular, a little green truck that makes this holiday a standout to 3-year-old Armaan. "When I told him about this, he was like 'oh, my buddy, my friend dropped it off,'" said Paul Hayer, Armaan's father.

Armaan is a shy, almost silent little boy when you first meet him. Paul says it wasn't his words that helped this green truck find its way to Armaan, but a usually overlooked gesture. Armaan's secret Santa took time out of what we assume is a busy schedule to deliver this special gift. "He actually came to the door as my dad was leaving and presented the stocking with this truck in it, with some candy canes, and said this is for my buddy that waves to me every Thursday," Hayer said.

But give him a while and the shy boy is gone. This energetic 3-year-old shoots out of bed every Thursday, as he has for more than a year, to find the guy driving a truck that looks just like his new toy. Only the real truck is much bigger. Armaan's special friend picks up his garbage every week for the city of Clovis.

"As soon as he hears the trucks down the street, he's up out of his bed, running to the windows," Paul said. "He'll run downstairs. We'll take him outside. He watches them do his thing. One truck in particular is the one that actually waves to him as he's passing. Armaan waves bye to them and the garbage truck driver waves back."

The little green truck isn't the biggest or most expensive gift Armaan received this year, but his dad says it's certainly his favorite.

"And now my son has made a friend for life," Hayer said. "If I can just figure out who the gentleman is, put a name to him, thank him and wish his family a Merry Christmas, it would be the perfect end to Christmas Day."