Santa Cops Delivery Night Tonight

Last night, dozens of off-duty police officers, corrections staff and other law enforcement personnel from the Puyallup and Edgewood Police Departments and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department joined community volunteers to delivery groceries, new toys and new clothes to over 100 families in Puyallup/Eastern Pierce County.

Washington State Santa Cops was started by Puyallup Police Officers Michael Gifford (Ret.) and Gary Shilley in 1993 after Gifford, a DARE Officer at the time, saw a little boy at school wearing his grandmother’s pink sweater for warmth and a little girl whose shoes were duct taped together. The program aims to provide non-perishable food items, new clothing and new toys to local families in need. Recipients are not aware police are coming to drop off the items.

Members of the media were invited to ride along with a patrol officer this evening to experience Santa Cops delivery firsthand. Space is limited. Interested media contacted Shelby to reserve their patrol car. Deliveries started at 5 PM and took approximately four hours to complete.

Washington State Santa Cops is an entirely volunteer organization which is sponsored by Toyota of Puyallup and works with dozens of community groups, churches, schools and businesses to provide for local families in need.