Landrie Champion of Aurora (foreground) wraps gifts for the "Santa Cop" project. Her Dad, Grand Island Police Officer Tim Champion, is in the background wrapping gifts. (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – A group of elves, comprised of volunteers and police officers, gathered at 5 p.m. Dec. 23 in the Community Meeting Room in the Law Enforcement Center to wrap presents for the “Santa Cop” event.
Lt. Jason Allan coordinates the “Santa Cop” event. He said that presents had been purchased for nine families, comprised of 32 people. Allan has been a member of the Police Department for 18 years and said that the “Santa Cop” event has occurred for at least 20 years.
Approximately $15,000 was donated to purchase toys, and some toys were donated, Allan said.
After the volunteers finished wrapping the presents, they planned to deliver the gifts in the evening on Dec. 23.
“We’re going to head out in one big convoy,” Allan said.
Landrie Champion of Aurora was one of the volunteers wrapping gifts. She got involved because her father, Tim Champion, is a Grand Island police officer.
“It’s kind of become a tradition,” Landrie Champion said.
Recipients of the gifts are identified through local nonprofit groups, school resource officers, and police officers.
Allan begins approaching people to donate money at the end of September, and gifts are purchased starting in mid-November.
Allan said that gifts were being provided for more families this year. Last year, gifts were delivered to seven families, he said. In previous years, gifts were delivered to one to two families.
Anyone who wants to nominate a family to receive “Santa Cop” gifts may send an email to santacopgipd@gmail.com.
“I love how everybody gets their families involved. It’s a huge effort,” Allan said.
This year’s effort included an especially impactful contribution from a local community group that not only donated a large number of gifts, but raised an additional $7,000 to purchase additional presents.
