Adam Orr
Gaston Gazette
GASTONIA, N.C. — With toys in hand, a merry band of bearded brothers delivered a little extra Christmas cheer to kids who need it.
Dallas Police Department officers dropped off more than $1,400 in toys, including everything from plush dolls and soft fleece blankets to games and puzzles at CaroMont Regional Medical Center on Thursday. The donation even included a mamaRoo, a kind of infant seat designed to help a young mother rock a fussy newborn to sleep.
The effort was made possible thanks to a months-long campaign by Dallas Police officers and command staff. The idea? Officers could sport a beard during November and December as long as they pitched in to the fundraising effort.
“It gave us a chance to look like Santa Claus,” Dallas Police Department Capt. Robbie Walls laughed. “It was an opportunity to do something a little different this year and growing the beards was something that turned out to be a pretty good motivator for the guys. They really stepped up, along with a couple of local businesses. That’s what made this possible.”
Dallas Police Department Chief R.A. Scott described himself as “old school,” and a stickler for maintaining grooming standards. That generally means officers need to be clean shaven.
“That’s just part of it and it always has been for the 26 years I’ve been doing this,” Scott said. “But when they said they wanted to take part in this and grow their beards I said, ‘OK but I’ve got to get something out of it.’
“In this case that means they had to pitch in to help purchase these gifts.”
Beth Canipe, director of Women and Children Services at CaroMont Regional Medical Center, oversees the organization’s birthplace, neonatal intensive care unit and pediatric care center. She said they work with about 35 families per week.
“When our families are here we’re always looking for something to keep them from getting bored, or to take their mind of what’s going on around them,” Canipe said. “That’s where things like the games and coloring books and puzzles come in. But we were also really lucky to get things like the blankets and the stuffed animals, things that can really go a long way toward comforting these kids. These guys really stepped up to do this.”
The toys will also be used in other CaroMont Regional departments, including its pediatric psychiatry services, according to Scott Wells, CaroMont Health’s chief nursing officer.
“These children are either ill or injured in a lot of cases,” Wells said. “So it’s a trying time for them, and for their families. We’re always looking to do what we can to brighten up their day, break up the routine. I can’t tell you how appreciative we are to the Dallas Police Department.”