WESTFIELD — Last Thursday morning, a Police Department pickup truck backed up to the main entrance of Westfield Middle School, the first of seven stops, and several officers and police cadets unloaded over a dozen of bulging garbage bags.
They weren’t filled with rubbish, they were filled with the spirit of Christmas.
“It really is all about the kids,” said Police Department Patrolman John Blascak as the reason the department started the annual Westfield Police cadet toy drive nine years ago.
It started simply enough, Detective Chris Coach said. At the time, he said, his wife was the president of the PTO at the former Juniper Park Elementary School, and told him the organization wanted to provide gifts to children who might otherwise go without, but it didn’t have quite enough money to go around.
Coach began talking with Detective Rick Mazza and they decided to organize a toy drive with the participants of the department’s youth cadet program. Nine years later, the drive is still going strong.
This year, officers and cadets delivered the unwrapped gifts to Westfield Middle School, Abner Gibbs Elementary School, Munger Hill Elementary School, Southampton Road Elementary School and Westfield Intermediate School.
Coach said each of the schools that receives gifts let the police know in advance how many children’s parents need gifts and whether they are for girls or boys. The gifts purchased are appropriate for ages 5-11.
Coach wanted to make it clear that without the community’s help, the toy drive would not be as successful as it has become.
“We really want to thank all who donated,” Coach said.
The toy drive took place on two Saturdays in late November and early December at Walmart, Five Below, Dollar General and Playnow.
Coach said all the 30 cadets participated by standing out in front of each of the stores, handing out flyers about the drive and the gift needs for the children. Cash donations were also accepted, which brought in about $2,000.
That meant Couch had to go shopping, which he did with his daughter.
“It was fun,” he said, adding it took several trips to gather all the toys needed.
In fact, the toys needed for the 250 children filled a garage at the police station and a department storage locker at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport, Coach said.
While the department had a goal of five gifts per child, Coach said the drive was so successful the number of gifts the children will receive might be more.
When the officers and cadets arrived at Abner Gibbs Elementary School, Principal Erika Masciadrelli said, “it was heartwarming to see them arrive.”
“Many of our children will benefit this Christmas because of the generosity of the cadet program,” she said.
She said the unwrapped gifts are provided to the families needing them.
The department’s cadet program serves as something of a pipeline for new officers, Blascak said. The program is open to those between the ages of 14-21 who are thinking about a career in law enforcement. Blascak said the cadets are trained in aspects of law enforcement during weekly evening meetings.
The cadets also volunteer at many of the city’s civic events, he said.
Westfield Police Detective Chris Coach sorts through bags of toys collected as part of the annual Police Cadet Toy Drive. (SUBMITTED)The Westfield News
