The City of Doral this holiday season staged multiple community events, including a Christmas tree lighting, a Publix-backed $50 gift-card distribution and the annual "Shop with a Cop" program that pairs school resource officers with students, organizers and participants said.

The events aimed to bring families together in downtown Doral and to provide direct support to residents during the season. "The holiday season in Doral is a magical time, filled with joy, wonder, and community spirit," an event organizer said.

A resident who attended the festivities praised the city’s efforts. "No. It's been an amazing. I mean, I think Doral have really done a really good job about bringing the families and having them here in Doral downtown. I mean, my daughter just had a picture with Santa. She loved it," the resident said.

A Downtown Doral representative described the long-term goal for the area. "Downtown Doral's vision for Doral is for it to be the epicenter of culture, commerce, and community, creating the ultimate place to live, work, play, and learn," the representative said.

Organizers also said the distribution event involved the Doral Police Department and Publix. "Today is a day of action where the City of Doral Police Department, our elected officials, and the community as a whole, in conjunction with Publix, are distributing $50 gift cards for pedestrians and drivers who are ..." a police representative said during the event. The transcript did not specify the number of gift cards distributed.

Representatives from UHealth attended to represent their organization. "Being part of the holiday celebration representing UHealth is such a privilege because we get to show the residents of Doral who we are and that we're here for you," a UHealth representative said.

At the Shop with a Cop program, an event speaker said the program matches school resource officers with students at their respective schools and includes command staff and detectives. "Welcome to our annual shop with a cop event. We have many amazing events throughout the year, but by far, this is my favorite event. It gives us the opportunity to give back to our community, give to those amazing kids in our schools and their families. We've been able to pair up our school resource officers with the students at their respective schools. We have command staff members here," the speaker said.

Speakers noted the events are recurring. "We look forward to creating even more magical memories in the years to come. And thank you all for celebrating with us. Happy New Year from your City of Doral family," an event organizer said.

No formal votes, ordinances, or policy actions were recorded in the transcript of the events.