ROCKLEDGE, Fla. Dec. 19, 2025 – The annual Breakfast with Santa event, organized by Family Partnerships of Central Florida (FPOCF), continues to expand and help more foster and adoptive children experience Christmas joy, including receiving gifts. For the past several years, FPOCF has partnered with the Transport Workers Union of America Local 525 chapter to organize the event. This year, 125 children chose toys from an abundant and wide-ranging selection donated by community sponsors. The event was held Saturday, Dec. 13 at Space Coast Health Foundation in Rockledge.
“Each and every year, we’re honored to provide Christmas cheer and toys for these children and their families,” said Dennis McDonough, vice president of TWU 525. “We’ve been fortunate to grow the event over the past decade. This year, after making our national chapter aware of our past success with the event and passion for helping even more children, we were able to secure a $5,000 donation and introduce more celebratory elements such as professional event photo booth that was a big hit.”
McDonough says the event is personal for him and his family. A proud grandfather to three former foster and adoptive children, he and his family have been active in supporting children for the past 30 years. His son, who is also named Dennis, has fostered 17 children in Brevard County.
McDonough says he’s proud to see more children experience the event and get to see their community come together in a positive way. “This year, we had our employees’ children serving breakfast from Cracker Barrel. Actions like this are powerful teaching ways to help demonstrate love to children and enable them to give back in their own way.”
The McDonoughs are already thinking about next year. “How can we make this bigger and even more impactful – that’s always been our focus after the success we’ve seen with the event,” he says.
Phil Scarpelli, president and CEO of FPOCF, says Brevard families and the surrounding community are the ultimate beneficiaries of holiday-giving events such as Breakfast with Santa. “We’re able to host and create wonderful events like this because of our amazing community donors who give back so generously throughout the year, but especially during the holidays,” said Scarpelli.
Sponsors who provided for the children included: Transport Workers Union of America AFL-CIO (international chapter), Transport Workers Union of America local 525 – AFL-CIO, Operations Eagles Rising, Inc., Karli Tucker and Amanda Mansueto with Arium Real Estate, and the Stefurak family.
