On Monday, December 12, the holidays came early for children at one lower Manhattan shelter.

Joined by DHS Commissioner Seth Diamond, Councilmember Margaret Chin and former New York Rangers player, Adam Graves- the youngsters selected and received winter coats at an event sponsored by the Garden of Dreams Foundation.

With a helping hand from the VIP guests, including the hockey star himself, each child chose from an assortment of winter coats, which were donated to the City-run facility by New York sports fans and Madison Square Garden patrons. Attendees additionally received a variety of snacks and Rangers memorabilia, thanks to the generosity of the foundation.

As the world-famous arena's philanthropic organization, Garden of Dreams has- in its five years of existence- collaborated with DHS and other partners to serve more than 185,000 families in the tri-state area. Coordinating its efforts through the agency's Office of Communications & External Affairs, the foundation has enabled families in shelter to attend a number of New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty games, as well as an array of entertainment events and concerts.

On Monday, a young boy stared open-mouthed upon receiving an autographed photo of Graves, excitedly exchanging glances between the card and the NHL player standing in front of him. With a career total of 329 goals, 287 assists, and two Stanley Cup titles, Graves was best known for his 10-year tenure with the Rangers. However, since retiring from the sport in 2003, Graves has set his sights on a new goal: working to enrich the lives of children facing illness, homelessness, poverty, foster care or tragedy.

"We are so grateful to Garden of Dreams for its ongoing generosity and partnership with our agency," said Commissioner Diamond. "Tonight's event not only provided children with winter coats, but also brought smiles to so many of their faces. We want to especially thank Adam and Councilmember Chin for their time and involvement."

Since 2006, Garden of Dreams has designed more than 2,100 once-in-a-lifetime experiences for families at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the MSG Training Center, Fuse and the Beacon Theatre.