Instead of writing a letter to Santa, 10-year-old Brodey Watson sent his Christmas wish to the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance. What he wanted was a Lego store in his town instead of having to purchase his favorite Lego sets online or at department stores.
“I was hoping that you can send a letter to the Lego company to by chance decide to build a Lego store in the Del Amo Shopping Center to help Lego lovers, like me,” Brodey said in his letter to the Simon Property Group, the owners of Del Amo Fashion Center.
“I am very passionate about Lego,” he wrote. “It really brings joy to me. I hope to one day be an engineer and get my start off of Lego, like most other kids.”
Damien Osip, general manager at Del Amo Fashion Center, said the letter from Watson was kind and creative – and Del Amo Fashion Center wanted to honor that. While they have not yet been able to secure a Lego store, Osip surprised Brodey on Monday, Dec. 22 with a $200 Lego gift card and four tickets to Lego Land.
“Del Amo Fashion Center has always been deeply connected to the Torrance community, and Brodey’s letter was a beautiful reminder of that connection,” Osip said in a written statement. “During the holidays, it’s the small, personal moments that mean the most, and we wanted to recognize the kindness and creativity behind his note in a meaningful way. Creating this surprise was our way of celebrating the spirit of the season and showing Brodey — and our community — how much moments like these matter to us.”
Eileen Watson, Brodey’s mother, said that what Del Amo Fashion Center was able to do for her son was a blessing.
“It makes my mama heart so happy as every mom just wants their children to be happy and healthy,” she said. “Just to see the excitement on my son’s face meant the world to me.”
Brodey said this surprise was extra special to him because he was not expecting much this Christmas.
“My dad’s a government employee and with the government shutdown that recently happened, it was sad to see my parents go through that tough time and it felt really long for all of us,” Brodey said. “And, I knew that we had to cut back on money so this surprise just felt really good.”
Eileen said that Brodey has had a passion for Legos since he was very young and expands further than just having fun.
“It has helped me expand my imagination,” Brodey said. “It’s helped me to feel empowered within a universe of creativity.”
Brodey also said that he does not only want a Lego store in Torrance for himself, but for all local Lego lovers.
“For other people like me, I want to help them go longer with their passion for Lego and I want them to embrace it,” he said.
While Brodey was not able to get exactly what he asked for this year, perhaps next Christmas Del Amo Fashion Center will have a Lego store.