Cd'A PD takes Santa's shift
Courtesy of Mario Rios/CDA PD Detective Joseph Scholten (left) and Officer Crystal Shaw (right) were two of 16 members of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department to help deliver at least 75 boxes to Sacred Heart Monday. The department will continue its tradition Wednesday at Kootenai Health, where it will deliver gifts to hospitalized children on Christmas Day.
Courtesy of Mario Rios/CDA PD Sgt. Shane Avriett of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department gave Kris Kringle a breather Monday as he got decked out in Santa’s seldom-used police blue uniform to deliver gifts to hospitalized children. Avriett and the rest of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department will deliver gifts to children at Kootenai Health’s pediatric wing on Christmas Day.
Courtesy of Mario Rios/CDA PD A convoy of Coeur d’Alene’s finest escorts a U-Haul filled to capacity with donations Monday. Approximately $25,000 in cash and toys were donated as part of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department’s fourth annual toy drive. The department will travel to Kootenai Health to deliver gifts to hospitalized children on Christmas Day.
Santa Claus isn’t the only philanthropist in a cool uniform driving a cool ride while delivering presents to children this Christmas.
The Coeur d’Alene Police Department began its final push to help hospitalized children Monday, delivering at least 75 boxes of toys to children at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Spokane.
On Christmas Day they’ll do the same at Kootenai Health.
“It’s hard to quantify how many presents we handed out this year,” Mario Rios of CDA PD said after the Sacred Heart stop. “We categorize them as books, crayons, art supplies, toys, that sort of thing. We labeled them as we took them in, boxed them up and got them where they need to go this year.”
Where they needed to go was to hundreds of pediatric patients throughout the Inland Northwest in need of a little extra Christmas cheer. Mary Savage, philanthropy officer at Sacred Heart, agreed with Rios: The department’s actions were hard to quantify.
“It’s just amazing what they do for children in the area,” Savage said. “Oh, my word, let me just say: Every child that’s a patient here will receive a stocking full of toys and goodies.”
Savage estimated Coeur d’Alene Police dropped off 78 large boxes, as well as gift wrap and gift cards.
“The people of Coeur d’Alene and Kootenai County have such big hearts,” Savage said. “They’re so generous every year, and each year they seem to give more and more.”
The department set up donation centers in front of the Hayden Walmart for the past three weekends, as well as stations in the Coeur d’Alene Police Department and Coeur d’Alene City Hall. Their fourth annual toy drive this year, he said, was their best yet.
“We collected about $25,000 worth of money and donations,” Rios said. “Each year, it’s gotten bigger and bigger. Our first year, we collected right around $5,000 to $10,000, and it’s gone up by about $5,000 each year. The people in the area are phenomenal people and always willing to give, especially this time of year. We’re all very thankful, and I know the kids appreciate it.”