Texas State Guard delivers to Santa Cop
Editor, Grand Prairie Reporter
2009/12/17

Members of the Guard donated 300 toys to Santa Cop.Members of the Texas State Guard helped the Grand Prairie Police Department’s Santa Cop make sure underprivileged families in Grand Prairie have a merry Christmas. The Guard delivered more than 300 toys Wednesday at the Grand Prairie Police Headquarters.

After hearing last week’s plea from Santa Cop for donations to fill this year’s request for assistance, talk radio station KLIF Program Director Steve Nicholl contacted the Texas State Guard to see if there were extra toys to share from its Christmas toy program, Young Heroes of the Guard.

Lieutenant Robert Davis, spokesman for the Texas State Guard, said members worked hard and collected more than 2,200 toys for the Scottish Rite Hospital, Our Children’s House and Cook’s Children Hospital.

“We were blessed enough to have more to give, more than those hospitals could really take and keep” Lt. Davis said. “So, we are here in Grand Prairie to help in their time of need.”

While loading the Guard’s donations, Bob Allen of Grand Prairie arrived with a SUV load of toys and a $500 check from the West End Charities of Dallas. He said the charity heard of Santa Cop’s problem and the West End had some extra it could donate.

Officer Mark Calvert said with the donations from the Texas State Guard and the West End Charities, “It’s going to put us over the top.”

He added that toys not distributed this year will be stored to “give us a start for next year” or could be used to help families should a disaster occur during the next year.

Debra Willis, Santa Spot coordinator, said thanks to the media getting the word out about the group’s problem, they now have enough hams and turkeys to provide a Christmas meal for each of the families.

This year’s distribution of the toys and food is December 17.

Original article formerly on the Grand Prairie Reporter web site.