APD kicks off 'Operation Blue Santa'
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The Austin Police Department is making sure that every child in the area gets his fill of joy this holiday season with Operation Blue Santa.
It's a 40-year-old charitable outreach that provides toys and food for families in need. The program started with police officers helping 20 families back in 1972, and it now serves more than 3,800 families, with 14,000 children receiving gifts.
This year's Blue Santa Operation kicked off Monday.
"Blue Santa is important to me because I know that when kids go to school that very first Monday, and all the other kids are bragging about all the new things they got, we shouldn't have kids that sit quietly in the corner because they didn't get that opportunity," Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said.
Blue Santa organizers say there are several ways to help this year. You can donate non-perishable food and unwrapped toys at more than 100 Austin locations, or you can donate your time and volunteer to become one of Santa's Helpers to prepare and distribute the goods.
Delivery day is scheduled for Dec. 15, 2012. Visit BlueSanta.org for more information.