AUSTIN, Texas - Austin police officers are trading their badges for Santa hats this holiday season to give back during their annual Operation Blue Santa Program.
APD’s Operation Blue Santa began in 1972 when two patrol officers realized that 20 families on their patrol beat would not have gifts or food for their children at Christmas.
Now in its 52nd year, the event has grown immensely.
"They started collecting toys, used toys, bought new toys and the first distribution was 22 families in that area. Now we're doing over 5,000, actually, 5,200 families," said Scott Stephens, Board President of Operation Blue Santa.
APD Chief Lisa Davis is in her first year in the new role, making her a first-time participant in the event.
"I've never seen anything like this. Working in Cincinnati, of course you have Christmas events that you do, but to this level and to this magnitude, I have never seen, and I'm not sure there's any department that can match this," said Chief Davis.
A team of dedicated volunteers work in the gift-filled warehouse to make the program possible.
"It's not just APD, it's EMS, you have fire, you have so much help here. This has grown, I think, from the beginning of something small to the amazing thing it is today and how many families it reaches. It's just an incredible time, and I'm just very proud to be part of it," said Chief Davis.
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On Saturday, teams delivered the packages to families. Each package contains at least two toys, a book, some stocking stuffers and a grocery store gift card.
It's all thanks to the help of the Austin community, business, civic groups, and foundations.
Dozens of volunteers came together to spread joy to families by delivering packages right to their doorsteps, leaving a lasting impact on the children.
"It's magic. It's Christmas magic inside those boxes," said Chief Davis.
You can find more information on Operation Blue Santa here.