Santa receives help from Windham Police Department - By Michelle Libby

It makes people smile to see police officers in uniform shopping for toys. Not only did it make people smile, it had some digging in their pockets for cash to help at checkout time. 
 

On December 12, the executive board of the Windham Police Association union stopped by the North Windham Walmart to spend $1,000 that was raised through phone solicitations this past year. 

Officer and president Jason Burke, vice president and DARE officer Matt Cyr, secretary and officer Gene Gallant and officer and treasurer Jim Cook all went shopping with the mission to “get as many presents as we could,” said Cyr. They left with bicycles, board games, safety equipment, balls, matchboxes, dolls and iPod shuffles for older children, all to be donated to Windham’s social services program to give toys and gifts to children in need within the community. 

 

“As for the people that walked up to us in Walmart and handed us cash to help at the register, thank you. Your kindness was not unnoticed and will not be forgotten,” said Cyr.

This is the second year in a row the department has done shopping for Christmas gifts. However, according to Cyr, there was a time in the not too distant past that it was an annual tradition. He hopes the project will continue every year going forward. 

As far as there being need within the Windham community, Cyr said. “As police officers we see it pretty regularly. We see when parents’ priorities aren’t where they should be. We also see parents who can’t provide for their kids the extras in the way they want to at Christmas time. We help out through social services.”