One of the last Angel Tree tags at a North Texas church led to a viral moment and a Christmas surprise from Eagles fans nationwide.
MANSFIELD, Texas — Nicole Swartz didn’t go to church looking to change a child’s Christmas. She went because she was grieving.
“We had just lost a loved one the day before,” Swartz said.
The Mansfield eighth-grade teacher was mourning the sudden death of her best friend’s father, Greg Logan — a man she says felt like a second dad while she was growing up. Logan died of a heart attack just days before Thanksgiving.
“He was my best friend’s father,” Swartz said. “He was my second dad growing up.”
Church was simply where she went to sit with that loss.
“I just needed to feel better,” she said. “To feel some type of way.”
That’s when she noticed the Angel Tree. Its branches were covered with tags — Christmas wishes from children in need, supported by the Salvation Army.
Most had already been taken. A few still hung quietly in place.
“I was so glad that they still had a few kids left,” Swartz said.
One of those tags belonged to an 11-year-old boy from North Texas. His wish was simple: football gear — specifically Philadelphia Eagles gear. An Eagles fan … in Cowboys country.
As Swartz stood nearby, she overheard a father make an offhand remark explaining why the tag hadn’t been picked yet.
“He was making a joke that he’s an Eagles fan,” Swartz said, “so that’s why he’s one of the last ones to get picked.”
When that father placed the tag back on the tree, Swartz didn’t hesitate.
“As soon as they put it back, I was like, ‘Oh — that one’s mine,’” she said.
Unsure what to buy for a young Eagles fan she’d never met, Swartz turned to TikTok, sharing the story and asking for gift ideas. The response came quickly. And then, it kept coming.
When Swartz asked for suggestions, strangers who root for the Birds didn’t just respond with words. They sent boxes.
“I just keep getting notifications at my door,” she said. “A package. A package. A package.”
Eagles gear poured in from across the country — even fans of rival teams chipped in. Then, the Philadelphia Eagles organization, itself, reached out, sending their own box of goodies, which included a signed helmet.
“I don’t know what I’ve done,” Swartz said. “I don’t know what I’ve created.”
The answer came in a voicemail from the boy’s grandmother, who eventually got on the phone with Swartz to thank her personally.
“She was like, ‘I’m sorry … the actual Eagles?’” Swartz recalled. “And I was like, ‘Yes, ma’am. The actual Eagles sent a package for him.’”
What began as a quiet visit to church — a place to grieve — became something far greater. A Christmas to remember for an 11-year-old who simply loved a football team.
“Philadelphia fans were like, ‘No — we’re going to show this kid what’s up,’” Swartz said. “We’re going to show him he picked the right team. And the right fan base to be part of.”
Proof that generosity can grow from the smallest moments — and travel far beyond where it starts.