Operation Blue Santa Brings Joy to Children and Officers for 10th Year

SAN ANGELO, TX- This morning, several area kids got to enjoy the wonders of Christmas shopping with San Angelo Police Officers during Operation Blue Santa at Walmart, 610 W. 29^th St.

Operation Blue Santa, coordinated and made possible by Officer Brian Bylsma, is in its tenth year, and has brought a whole new meaning to the spirit of giving for children and families in San Angelo.

Officer Bylsma explained, “We coordinate a program with the local school districts where we take kids Christmas shopping. We have money that is donated by the community.”

For everything to run smoothly for this year's event, the children chosen for the Blue Santa program were split into two groups and shopped at different times so officers could enjoy one-on-one time with the children and help them pick the gifts they wanted.

These children didn't just shop for themselves, and many were more excited to find gifts for beloved family members than they were for themselves.

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When seeing this, Bylsma discussed how happy he and the other officers are, knowing that they can make a positive impact on children in the community.

“It makes us feel pretty good," he said. "In our job, when we arrive some place, everything is in chaos. We have to try and settle things down. A lot of the times, kids have to see us in the chaos mode within the household. This [program] is a way for us to show them that we’re human, that there is another side to a police officer, and that we are their friends.”

M.L. Matt Baldwin was one of the officers who gave his time to help out at the Blue Santa event. He said, “This is a yearly event that Officer Brian Bylsma puts on. Over several months, he solicits donations from the community.”

Those donations, which amounted to just under $12,000 this year, allowed for each child to spend $250 on Christmas presents for themselves and their families.

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All officers who joined in Operation Blue Santa this morning volunteered their time on their day off, and they all had smiles on their faces, enjoying the children's excitement.

“The officers have never let me down,” Bylsma said.

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Baldwin added, “All of these officers here this morning are off duty. We come up here, volunteer our time because it’s a good thing. We’ll get one of these kids and go shopping with them.”

Officer Bylsma noted this program would not be possible without the support of the people in San Angelo.

If anyone would like to donate money to next year's Operation Blue Santa program and keep the spirit of giving alive for children and families in need, they can send a check or money order to the San Angelo Coalition of Police, P.O. Box 804, San Angelo, Texas, 76902.

Bylsma added, “What we ask you to do is mark that check or money order to say that it is for Operation Blue Santa. That way we know where that money needs to go.”