Cops for Tots will distribute toys to over 500 area children at the Event Hall on Dec. 17.
“City Hall is so popular doing the holidays it’s natural that we have it there,” Greer Police Lt. Jim Holcombe said. “In the past, City Hall was so busy over the holidays we didn’t have a chance to hold it there. Praise Cathedral and First Baptist have been extremely good to us.”
Ann Cunningham, Director of Parks and Recreation, saw the dates were open and mentioned the idea to Holcombe. “It’s a city event and we will do in house anything we can to help them,” Cunningham said.
The dates may become a fixture in the future.
Holcombe was at the Syl Syl Toy Drive last Sunday as it was wrapped up at the Clock Restaurant last week. “In the big picture, this is the kickoff to our toy drive,” Holcombe said. “David and Kevin (Holtzclaw) and the volunteers do a great job. We begin getting into the Christmas spirit with their toy drive.”
Sgt. Chad Richardson, Sgt. Randy Ballenger, officer Brandon McMahan and Holcombe help coordinate the Cops for Tots drive. “We will be handling it every day until the children pick up the toys,” Holcombe said. “We’ll do our jobs and when the toys need to be taken to storage we will do that.”
Toys will be set up in the Event Hall on Friday Dec. 16 and children will make their selections on Saturday. “It is such a great feeling to see the kids pick out their toys,” Holcombe said.
Officers accompany the children as they make their selections – one big, one medium and two or more little presents. The parents are chauffeured into a separate waiting area. “We want to do this for the kids. We want the children to decide what they want,” Holcombe said.
New and unwrapped toys, infants through age 12, can be delivered until Dec. 16 to the Police Department lobby at 102 S. Main Street during regular business hours. Monetary donations are accepted and will be used to purchase toys. The public is reminded to include batteries.
Applications for the Cops for Tots program are available beginning Monday. Deadline to submit applications are Dec. 2.