Operation Blue Santa 2014 Brings Smiles to Police and Children

Over three-dozen San Angelo children participated in the annual Operation Blue Santa Saturday morning. Officer Brian Bylsma, organizer, said that 42 were invited, and expected to attend before the day was over.

Children were paired with a police officer volunteer who, with $250 in donated money, went Christmas shopping up and down the aisles of the Walmart on 29^th Street.

Volunteers of mostly police families manned the 40-feet of tables where the gifts the children chose were carefully wrapped. Walmart donated the wrapping paper.

The program is aimed at underprivileged children who would not otherwise have the means to buy gifts for Christmas. The children are selected to participate by their elementary school counselors.

With iPhone in hand, turned to the calculator app, an officer mused over his assigned child’s shopping spree. “We got to the end, and I had to remind him that he hadn’t purchased anything for himself yet,” the police officer said.

Operation Blue Santa is held every Christmas and is made possible by donations from the community to the San Angelo Coalition of Police.