The beards are back as officers of the Plant City Police Department (PCPD) have once again grown out their beards to raise money to help Bryan Elementary parents make their children’s holiday wishes come true.
Normally the department has a strict no-beards-in-uniform policy but around the holidays officers could grow facial hair after contributing a set amount to the fundraising campaign. This year, officers paid $110 to wear a beard until Dec. 31. Female officers could get in on the holiday spirit this year by making the donation in exchange for being able to wear non-conforming nail polish colors.
Last week, officers and their families took the $3,600 in proceeds and went on a shopping spree at Walmart to purchase items on more than 30 children’s wish lists.
Officer Justin Lee brought his family (wife Heather and four daughters) to help shop for items on the lists. His family scoured the aisles for toys for four girls between the ages of two and 11. His girls dug through a bin of Squishmallows to find an animal squishy. They were torn between the toucan and the sloth. Other items on their lists included a volleyball, clothes, arts and crafts kits and slime. “My girls have been looking forward to this all day,” said Heather Lee. “It’s just a great outreach to the community.”
Justin Lee said it’s not just local families that benefit because the lessons his children are learning will have a lifelong impact on them. “I want my kids to become adults that are always looking for opportunities to serve others,” he said. “This is a character-building moment for them.”
Officer DeDee Gregory’s shopping list included dinosaurs and a Baby Shark. She had a little trouble locating the second item but Walmart employees were quick to lend a hand, locating a stuffed Baby Shark in one of the aisles. Several years ago, Gregory stepped in as Bryan Elementary’s school resource officer (SRO) while the school district hired and trained permanent SRO’s a few years ago so feels a connection to the school and its students.
Parents of the children will pick up the gifts at police headquarters, along with wrapping paper and tape, so they can take the gifts home and wrap them. “This isn’t about police officers buying gifts for kids, it’s about helping parents give Christmas to their children,” said Police Chief James Bradford.
His officers also benefit because it gives them another way to serve the community in addition to responding to motor vehicle accidents, assisting victims of petty crime or writing incident reports. “This is a little recharge for them,” he said.
All good things must come to an end though, because when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Day, those newly-grown whiskers will be shaved off and the officers
The beards are back as officers of the Plant City Police Department (PCPD) have once again grown out their beards to raise money to help Bryan Elementary parents make their children’s holiday wishes come true.
Normally the department has a strict no-beards-in-uniform policy but around the holidays officers could grow facial hair after contributing a set amount to the fundraising campaign. This year, officers paid $110 to wear a beard until Dec. 31. Female officers could get in on the holiday spirit this year by making the donation in exchange for being able to wear non-conforming nail polish colors.
Last week, officers and their families took the $3,600 in proceeds and went on a shopping spree at Walmart to purchase items on more than 30 children’s wish lists.
Officer Justin Lee brought his family (wife Heather and four daughters) to help shop for items on the lists. His family scoured the aisles for toys for four girls between the ages of two and 11. His girls dug through a bin of Squishmallows to find an animal squishy. They were torn between the toucan and the sloth. Other items on their lists included a volleyball, clothes, arts and crafts kits and slime. “My girls have been looking forward to this all day,” said Heather Lee. “It’s just a great outreach to the community.”
Justin Lee said it’s not just local families that benefit because the lessons his children are learning will have a lifelong impact on them. “I want my kids to become adults that are always looking for opportunities to serve others,” he said. “This is a character-building moment for them.”
Officer DeDee Gregory’s shopping list included dinosaurs and a Baby Shark. She had a little trouble locating the second item but Walmart employees were quick to lend a hand, locating a stuffed Baby Shark in one of the aisles. Several years ago, Gregory stepped in as Bryan Elementary’s school resource officer (SRO) while the school district hired and trained permanent SRO’s a few years ago so feels a connection to the school and its students.
Parents of the children will pick up the gifts at police headquarters, along with wrapping paper and tape, so they can take the gifts home and wrap them. “This isn’t about police officers buying gifts for kids, it’s about helping parents give Christmas to their children,” said Police Chief James Bradford.
His officers also benefit because it gives them another way to serve the community in addition to responding to motor vehicle accidents, assisting victims of petty crime or writing incident reports. “This is a little recharge for them,” he said.
All good things must come to an end though, because when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Day, those newly-grown whiskers will be shaved off and the officers’ faces will be returned to their pre-holiday looks.