DENVER -- They didn't have white beards, nor did they have Santa hats, but they were wearing red as they delivered gifts to hospitalized kids. It was East High red.

The East High Angels lived up to their moniker Christmas Eve, when members of the boys and girls basketball teams delivered dozens of toys to children in the pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Denver Health Medical Center.

"As a mother, it warms my heart to know that there are people out there who still care," said Nakia Phason, while visiting with her 3-year-old daughter, Dhani.

Dhani, wearing a respiratory mask, is going to spend Christmas Day in the hospital. She anxiously opened the gift given to her by the Angels. It turned out to be a doll.

Her siblings also received toys. Big brother Elijawon, 8, received a basketball. When asked what he though of his new toy, he responded, "It's fun."

The team members said being involved in this project is a neat experience.

"They (the kids) give you the same kind of feeling that they get," said Troy Wiese, after handing out several gifts. "It's hard to explain."

"It's a good feeling," said fellow player Davaughn Thornton. "You take it for granted. Like Troy said, we're always receiving. To give feels pretty good."

The basketball teams are working with a group called With Love Inc., a non-profit started by a team member who graduated last year. The players are doing more than collecting and distributing gifts.

"The boys and girls teams at East have adopted a 16-year old street boy from Kenya and they're helping pay for his education and his room and board every year," said Carolyn Wiese, a parent of two of the team members.

Wiese said that being part of the non-profit and helping others just adds to the educational experience at East High.