MILWAUKEE -- Aside from the trades and free-agent signings comprising the Brewers' rebuilding process, there is another sign that general manager David Stearns is putting down his roots in Milwaukee.
On Tuesday, Stearns and his fiancée, Whitney Ann Lee, played the roles of Santa and Mrs. Claus as they delivered presents to overjoyed students at Bruce Elementary School on the city's northwest side. Each student received a present, purchased through the Brewers Community Foundation via Stearns' donation.
"It's a lot of fun whenever you get to give back a little bit and see kids smile and give them a happy feeling," Stearns said. "It's really cool to see, and very rewarding."
As they looked for a way to get involved in the community around the holiday season, Stearns and Lee noted that, as children, they partook in similar acts of giving. They visited 10 classrooms at Bruce Elementary, delivering a valuable message about the importance of giving and caring for one another.
Then came the presents -- bags full of them.
"Do you guys know why we came?" Stearns asked a class of second graders.
An enthusiastic boy responded, "Because you're nice!" 
Entering his second year as Brewers GM, Tuesday's act of giving was another step toward Stearns and Lee establishing themselves in Milwaukee.
"We're certainly going to continue to work with the Milwaukee Public School system and work with kids in the area to give back," Stearns said. "Whitney and I are constantly discussing how best to do that.
"This is the first year we've tried something like this. I think the response was really good, so we look forward to continuing those efforts in the future."