EAGAN, Minn. – Throughout the month of December, Vikings players swapped football cleats for Santa hats and impacted the Twin Cities community in major ways.

From Dallas Turner hosting his first coat drive and Brandon Powell returning to a Boys & Girls Club, to Harrison Phillips and Ed Ingram gifting shopping sprees and the Vikings Home Team leading a Polar Express trip, there was no shortage of holiday magic.

Dallas Turner Hosts Holiday Coat Drive | by Lindsey Young

Outside linebacker Dallas Turner might as well get used to answering Justin Jefferson questions now.

"Did you play against Justin Jefferson in college?" "Is Justin Jefferson fast?" "Have you gotten to talk to Justin Jefferson?"

The rookie defender laughed and happily responded to each inquiry from students at Bethune Arts Elementary. And while "Jets" was a popular topic for the young people, they also pitched Turner some direct questions:

"Who is your favorite NFL player of all time?" (Sean Taylor)

"What would you want to be if you didn't play football?" (Pharmaceutical engineer)

"Who do you like to get hyped with on game day?" (Brian Asamoah II)

Turner spent nearly two hours with the students. He kicked off the day by partnering with Operation Warm to gift winter coats to more than 270 students, much to their delight — and the delight of their parents.

"We unfortunately have a lot of kids who do come to school without the winter gear they need and we would want them to have," said Arts Coordinator Jody Zazo. "We believe very strongly in getting outside for recess every day for 30 minutes to get that fresh air and exercise … and I know our parents are really, really grateful. When we announced this was happening, many parents wrote back and said, 'Thank you so much; we needed this help.' "

The morning was special for Turner's mother, Tonya, who proudly watched her son interact with the youngsters and give them advice and encouragement.

"It's heartwarming to see Dallas give back. We've always instilled that in him," Tonya Turner explained. "He did a lot of things in college [at Alabama] and in our community in Florida, but this is the first time he's now giving back right here in Minnesota.

"We believe you're blessed to be a blessing to others," Tonya added. "So we're committed to doing our part."

Turner received colorful drawings and thank-you notes from a third-grade class, while a fifth-grade class excitedly performed a short dance they'd prepared before inviting him to join their holiday pizza party.

"I just want to give back to the younger generation," Turner said. "I want to remind them to treat each other with respect, kindness, treat others the way you want to be treated. And also tell them to just put 100-percent effort into anything they do — whether that's school, sports, anything.

"That giving culture resonates in the [Vikings] locker room, giving back, and I think it's a good thing to connect with the organization and the city," he added.

Harrison 'Santa Claus' Phillips Hosts Shopping Spree | by Craig Peters

Harrison Phillips dressed "Ho! Ho! Ho!" from head to toe, donning a Santa suit (sans beard because of not wanting to get too hot) to welcome Harrison's Playmakers for a special shopping spree at SCHEELS that included dinner from Raising Canes.

"Unfortunately, for some reason, the Santa suit feels like it fits a little tighter this year, so I'll need to address my cardio this week," Harrison said. "I think the kids got a kick out of it."

More than 300 people who have connected with Phillips through his Harrison’s Playmakers foundation attended, despite a heavy snow earlier in the day.

The defensive lineman has gotten to know most attendees on a first-name basis through relationships that have developed for his three seasons as a Viking.

"It's super cool to see some of these Playmakers, who I've now known for three years that have become more like family," Harrison said. "We didn't do name tags this year, because I know most of these guys. We have a couple first-time pups that came out."

Elizabeth, wearing a festive headband with Christmas trees "antennae," enjoyed reconnecting with Harrison.

"[My favorite part is] definitely seeing Harrison because we have the same birthday," she said. "I helped Harrison secure his extension with the Vikings because I met Kevin O'Connell at St. Philip the Deacon Church [before he re-signed]."

Harrison and his wife Shae are expecting their first child this spring. He said seeing the wonderful relationships with parents and Playmakers "gets in your feels."

"It makes me excited. I've just always had a passion for working with youth," Harrison said. "It's always super heartwarming, and it's cool to see some of my older Playmakers happy for me to be a dad and understand it's a big milestone in my life. I hope to instill some of the qualities that a lot of my Playmakers have in my children.

All Aboard the North Pole Express | by Rob Kleifield

"Oh no!" one little girl cried, "The Grinch stole our presents!"

Vikings rookies Levi Drake Rodriguez and Walter Rouse helped entertain about 75 youth from Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities on a recent merry train ride that ventured to the "North Pole."

The event at Union Depot in St. Paul was organized by the Vikings Home Team, a philanthropic group formed by the wives and partners of coaches, players and training staff. Inviting the children, the majority 8 years or younger, was designed to spread holiday cheer and form memories around the giving season that withstand time.

Aboard the North Pole Express kids shouted and burst with excitement as all kinds of magical characters – fairies and elves and jugglers and Mr. and Mrs. Claus, amongst others – roamed through the seat aisles.

Even Viktor the Viking and a couple Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders made cameos.

"That was awesome!" Rodriguez exclaimed. "It brought joy to my night. I wasn't in the best spirits and then I was with those little kids, and it reminded me of what Christmas is about: joy, love and happiness.

"I wish I could have done that growing up," he said, adding a favorite childhood Christmas memory was cozying up by the tree at night. "The laughter, all the yells for Santa and the Grinch – it was a great time."

'Twas a rewarding evening for the children, whose engagement in educational mathematics and literacy programs at the Boys & Girls Clubs put them on the staff's radar and landed each of them a ticket for the locomotive.

After loading onto vintage rail cars adorned with colorful lights, the train embarked on a short ride. Click-clack. Click-clack. A time-honored story arc started to construct on the other side of the windowpanes: The Grinch was stealing Christmas. But this interpretation had a twist.

With the train halted at "Santa's Sleigh Repairs" in the North Pole, the hairy green antihero swiped one present after the next from Santa's helpers and loaded them onto a golf cart. His escape was imminent.

Miraculously, however, The Grinch's getaway stalled, and the presents were retrieved for a sigh of relief.

Aaron Jones, Sr., had a different vantage point than Rodriguez and Rouse, sitting in the front passenger car with Vikings veterans Garrett Bradbury, Blake Brandel, Sam Darnold, David Quessenberry, Lucky Jackson, Trent Sherfield, Sr., and Andrew Van Ginkel, along with various family and significant others.

When The Grinch began his heist, the holiday magic made its way to the northern tip of the train.

"It was an amazing experience," Jones said, smiling. "That was my first time going to the North Pole. There was so much on the train – they had magicians, face painting; it was very interactive for the kids."

And for the 30-year-old player, who was accompanied by his son, girlfriend, sister, niece and godmother.

"The whole show of watching The Grinch steal the presents really made it fun for the family," Jones laughed, noting his favorite holiday gift was a pocket rocket motorcycle he received in the seventh grade.

"I got to be a kid again," Jones' eyes twinkled.

Ed Ingram Gifts Shopping Spree to AdopteeBridge Youth

Vikings guard Ed Ingram has emphasized a commitment to the community this season.

After recently bringing awareness to sickle cell anemia through My Cause My Cleats and spending time with young patients at Children's Minnesota, Ingram hosted a shopping spree for youth through local nonprofit AdopteeBridge.

AdopteeBridge and Foster Adopt Minnesota work to support the adoptive, foster and kinship communities, including helping find permanent homes for youth in foster care.

Having been adopted himself at age 4, Ingram felt drawn to gift the holiday experience to young people who are going through similar experiences he did. Some of the adolescents he and his girlfriend shopped with are currently in the foster care system awaiting adoption, while a couple have recently been adopted and were accompanied by their parents.

Ingram enjoyed getting to know the young people while helping them peruse aisles and shop for clothing, winter gear and games or toys.

"A couple of the 17- and 18-year-olds actually wanted to hear about my story, so I sat with them and talked to them about my story and how I [was adopted] and have come to be in the NFL," Ingram said. "One of the them actually wrote me a little letter while he was there, too, and that really impacted me. He told me how much it meant to him and that he was buying some of the things for his sisters. That was really cool.

"It's way harder for older kids to get adopted, but they still need love too," he added. "They need family, you know? They need structure, too. So it's tough."

Brandon Powell Serves Christmas Meal at Boys & Girls Club | by Rob Kleifield

The youth at Jerry Gamble Boys & Girls Club recognized the Vikings player upon his arrival.

They promptly screamed with excitement as he entered the North Minneapolis club then shifted their attention from holiday gifts to challenging the 29-year-old wide receiver at his craft in the gymnasium.

"They had me breaking a sweat in there, playing football the whole time," Brandon Powell laughed.

It wasn't the first visit to Jerry Gamble for Powell in his two seasons with the team, but Dec. 17 marked a special one because of the time of year: "A time to give back. A time to spend time with people," he said.

Powell gladly wondered, "How many kids get to see a Vikings player for Christmas?"

The young people received new toys – the favorites were sports balls and baby dolls – hung out with Powell for more than an hour and took advantage of their opportunity to have the ear of an NFL veteran.

Powell reflected on several conversations: "They were asking me some good questions. There were a couple boys in there that were asking about what they need to work on to make it to the college level."

The undrafted receiver, who's played an underdog role throughout his career and has found his niche as a strong blocker with reliable hands – a willing doer of the dirtier work – offered advice the kids can use.

"I just told them, basically, 'It ain't gonna be easy. You're gonna have to work every day,'" Powell shared with a large smile. "Because right now they're all playing little league football and they're the best player on their team. Everybody loves them. So [I told them to], 'Just put your head down, keep working, because it's gonna get harder. But as long as you work, you'll be able to make it doing anything [in life].'"

That in itself sounds like a present. Except, there was a better one.

"The best gift – what they wanted to do," said Powell, "was 'Moss' me in football."