Toys are stacked up in the Swansea Police Department’s community room for the department’s annual Toy Drive. (Photo courtesy Swansea Police Department)
SWANSEA — Chief Mark Foley is pleased to share that the Swansea Police Department is gathering donations for its annual Toy Drive, a tradition for the department’s officers going back more than 10 years, providing gifts to dozens of children who otherwise would go without them this holiday season.
The volunteer- and donor-based program culminates with a gift distribution event with Santa set for later this December. The event is sponsored and operated by the Swansea Police Association.
“For us, doing this is just a joy,” Chief Foley said. “I love doing it. It’s a joy seeing the relief coming off the faces of parents that we’re able to help out. Too often, we take it for granted that we can provide a proper Christmas to our families. The biggest thing that’s always driven me is watching a kid receive a gift who doesn’t otherwise receive anything. There’s nothing better than that.”
Toys and other gift donations are still being collected in the Swansea Police Department’s community room, where they are stacked up and will later be wrapped up, with parents of participants being called on beforehand to help identify which gifts would be best for their children.
Anyone who wishes to contribute to the Toy Drive can bring unwrapped gifts and gift cards to the Swansea Police Department lobby at 1700 Grand Army of the Republic Highway.
Gift recipients are being identified with the help of staff from Swansea Public Schools and the Town’s two School Resource Officers, Shane Mello and Macaila Saunders. Eligible recipients must be children from within Swansea.
“We’ve slowly built a database of recipients,” Chief Foley said.
In an annual tradition as part of the Toy Drive, SRO Mello and fellow patrol officers are delivering more than 500 stuffed animals this week to each student in grades kindergarten through second grade in Swansea Public Schools. This initiative was made possible through the generous donations of retired Probation Officer Mike Borden, who has long been delivering stuffed animals to local police departments to support their holiday toy drives.
Last year, the annual Swansea Police Department Toy Drive generated more than 500 gifts, which were distributed to 120 kids from over 60 different families. Surplus gifts from the annual event are always donated to other toy drives run by police departments in neighboring communities.
Chief Foley gave special thanks to several businesses that contributed to this year’s Toy Drive, including Cardi’s Furniture & Mattresses, Jordan’s Furniture, Gaskell’s Towing, Johnson’s Roadside Farm Market and Walmart. The New England Patriots Foundation also donated tickets as part of the toy drive to give to a local family.
And Chief Foley thanked all the individuals from the community and every police officer who supported this Swansea Police Association initiative as donors and volunteers.
“We have a great department that helps out with this,” Chief Foley said. “I’m very fortunate these members have stepped up and taken the reins. I’d like to recognize Sgt. John Souza, Patrolman Jared Ulak, and Patrolman Thomas Nolan for spearheading the Toy Drive, organizing the distribution of gifts, contacting families, and meeting with them. And I’d like to offer a big thank you to each member of the department who supported this year’s Toy Drive in any way, chipping in and providing assistance throughout the Christmas season.”
Chief Mark Foley said he’s amazed at how this annual Toy Drive held for Swansea children has grown throughout the years.
“We’ve been doing this a long time, but it used to be really small,” Chief Foley said. “It’s just gotten bigger and bigger and bigger. And it’s been a great opportunity for our police officers to join together with the citizens of Swansea, to give back to the community in a time of need.”
(There will be media availability with Chief Mark Foley and police officers distributing presents on Dec. 21, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Swansea Police Station at 1700 Grand Army of the Republic Highway.)
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Toys are stacked up in the Swansea Police Department’s community room for the department’s annual Toy Drive. (Photo courtesy Swansea Police Department)
Toys are stacked up in the Swansea Police Department’s community room for the department’s annual Toy Drive. (Photo courtesy Swansea Police Department)
Toys are stacked up in the Swansea Police Department’s community room for the department’s annual Toy Drive. (Photo courtesy Swansea Police Department)
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