Santa leads food parade in Modesto

Santa traded in his sleigh for a giant red shopping cart Wednesday as he led a quarter-mile parade down Yosemite Boulevard from the Save Mart Corporate Annex to Modesto Gospel Mission.

Riding in Save Mart's "Big Red" motorized cart, St. Nick was trailed by 50 shopping carts full of food, plus 11 vans packed with charitable donations.

The contributions to the grocery chain's Giving Tree program included 185 gift packages and 17 bicycles, tricycles and scooters. As part of the program, Save Mart partners also made their own donations, including a delivery to the mission on Monday of 25 hams from Sunny Valley Smoked Meats.