The San Jose Sharks and the Sharks Foundation, bring holiday cheer to local families when they host their annual Holiday Adoption Party held at HP Pavilion at San Jose.  Families are adopted by nearly the entire Sharks roster, coaching staff, owners and front office personnel, who provided clothing, toys, food gift certificates and a television for each family in attendance.

The night begins with each family arriving and entering the buildings Rink Side Room, which is fully decorated with a Christmas trees, candy-cane walls and snowmen to capture the holiday spirit.

Once they settled in, the families enjoy a delicious meal donated by Outback Steakhouse, with their adopters sitting alongside them. After their hearty meal, the families are encouraged to lace up a pair of skates and hit the ice, where S.J. Sharkie Claus is there to meet and skate with them.

A number of the Sharks players skate as well, guiding some of the more inexperienced children around the rink and teaching them how to skate.

For those who dont want to skate, there is an arts and crafts area, where families can decorate cookies, make holiday ornaments and construct holiday cards. Other activities available for the kids include a slapshot booth, holiday movie viewings and an opportunity to have a picture taken with S.J. Sharkie Claus.

The night concludes with the families returning to the Rink Side Room, where stacks of presents, provided by their adopters, are given to them. As the families left HP Pavilion, they exchange smiles, thank yous and waved goodbye to their adopters.