‘Tis the season! The annual Holidays and Heroes event will be held at the Greyhound Park and Event Center in Post Falls on December 10, 2017. Police officers and firefighters volunteer their time to make this event special and are happy to work in partnership with businesses, civic groups, and citizens in the surrounding area to make a disadvantaged child’s Christmas a little bit brighter.
Although many of us will celebrate and exchange gifts with our families, others are less fortunate and unable to bear the financial burden. For them, it’s a struggle to provide the basic, daily necessities of life. Holidays and Heroes strives to add a little extra joy during the gift-giving season. To create another successful year of holiday magic for hundreds of local children, cash and food items are now being accepted by participating law enforcement and emergency service agencies. As more donations are provided, additional children can be put on our shopping list.
The 2017 participating agencies include: Coeur d’Alene Police Department, Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police, Idaho Department of Correction, IDOC: Adult Felony Probation and Parole, Idaho State Police, Kootenai County Adult Misdemeanor Probation, Kootenai County Fire & Rescue, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, Life Flight Network, Post Falls Police Department, Rathdrum Police Department, Spirit Lake Police Department, Spokane County Sheriff’s Department, and Spokane Valley Police.
The agencies will be following the same format as in prior years. Several police officers and firefighters will take children shopping for the day. Children’s names are provided to the organizers by school resource officers, school counselors, patrol officers, deputy sheriffs, or firefighters who have come into contact with a less fortunate child during the past year.
Children are picked up at their homes by a police officer or firefighter and then driven to an area Wal-Mart. Police and firefighters take the children through the store picking out Christmas gifts for the children and their families. After the shopping is complete, the children are driven to the Greyhound Park to visit with Santa. The Greyhound Park facility is provided free of charge for the event. While the children are meeting Santa, volunteers wrap their presents and prepare large food baskets for the children’s families. At the end of the day, the officers and firefighters load the presents and food into their vehicles and take the children home.
‘Holidays and Heroes’ is now accepting cash donations and food items that can be dropped off at the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office at 1100 W. Mallon Avenue and the Valley office at 12710 E. Sprague, Post Falls Police Department at 1717 E. Polston Ave., Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office at 5500 N. Government Way, Rathdrum Police Department at 8178 W. Main St., the CdA Police Department at 3818 Schreiber Way, and Kootenai County Fire & Rescue Administration Office at 1590 E. Seltice Way.
Citizens are asked to make a food or cash donation at upcoming food drive events in Spokane and Kootenai County where police and fire departments will be participating. For more information, please contact Charlene Holbrook, Post Falls Police communications director, at 208-777-2242.
