Police fill bus with toys for families in need
Dec 15, 2019
The back of the bus was rapidly filling with bicycles and other large toys. Photos by: Kate Robinson
Fire District No. 1 also came out to support the drive.
Some of the Dartmouth Police Department who came out to help.
Two volunteers were getting cramped in the rapidly filling bus.
The bus was decorated for the occasion with festive stickers, tinsel, and colorful signs.
Members of the South Coast Young Marines unloading toys. Photo courtesy: Dartmouth Police Department
Those heading to Target for their Christmas shopping this weekend may have been greeted by the flashing lights of police cruisers at the entrance — but it wasn’t an emergency.
The Dartmouth Police Department were holding their annual Safe Zones “Fill-the-Bus” toy drive at the State Road outlet on Sunday after postponing it on Saturday due to rain.
Safe Zones — the charity that runs the toy drives with participation from police departments throughout the Greater New Bedford area — has been holding the holiday toy drives for nine years, sending the toys to local families in need.
The Dartmouth police have participated in the drive for the past four.
Department members, family, and friends lined the store entrance, handing out candy canes and dressed in Santa hats, blinking Christmas lights, and — in one instance — a full elf costume.
A yellow school bus from Tremblay’s Bus Company sat outside, decorated for the occasion and already filling up with bags of toys.
“We usually fill about three,” said Detective Kyle Costa, gesturing to the bus.
“Every year it gets bigger and bigger. It’s amazing,” he said of the event. “Everybody talks about it, leading up to it, and then when you get here it’s just ten times better than you could ever imagine...I absolutely love it.”
“It’s overwhelming,” he added. “It’s the true spirit of Christmas, it really is.”
Costa noted that the department has plenty of volunteers, including community members and local merchants.
This year they are also accepted cash donations for the drive, which Costa said would be used to purchase gift cards.
By noon on Sunday they already had at least $780 in cash donations, and counting.
Donna Rogers came with her husband Richie to deliver large bags of toys for the drive.
“I came yesterday because they had the toy sale. The bus was supposed to be here but the weather was bad,” she said. “So I just packed it up and said we’ll bring it back tomorrow.”
Third grade teacher at Potter Elementary Lorrie Murphy has been volunteering at the event with her family since the Dartmouth police joined in four years ago.
She said her favorite part of the experience was seeing all the smiles.
“The generosity that people have is just heartwarming,” she added. “It is. You know, this is the time that you see people at their best. And I love that.”
