Putnam FOP efforts result in annual Santa Drop assistance

Monday, December 24, 2012
Members of the Putnam County FOP and other volunteers assisting Santa Claus in the 2012 Santa Drop effort include (from left) Officer Nick Eastham, Officer David Barber, Deputy Mike Downing, Darcy Hendershot, Officer Dawn Townley, Santa, Officer Emily Smith, Officer Jeremiah Gillam, Steve Toleos and Cpl. Jerrod Baugh.

For the past 16 years, the Putnam County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 92 has delivered toys to needy children in Putnam County in a project known as the "FOP Santa Drop."

Every year a few special people decide to "pay it forward" and this year has been no different.

Last year the FOP helped a young woman and her children, so this year she called and said that she was so thankful for the help last year that she wanted to donate her time and help wrap gifts and anything else that needed to be done.

Meanwhile, a local company decided that instead of a gift exchange its employees would buy toys for needy children, noting that is what Christmas is really about, helping others.

The Santa Drop applications are thoroughly screened and sorted with most needy children at the top of the list. The presents are then wrapped by the VFW Post 1550 Women's Auxiliary and delivered by Santa Claus.

This year 49 kids received toys from Santa, which would not have been possible without the donations.

The Fraternal Order of Police would like to thank the following individuals and organizations: VFW Post 1550, Murray and Associates, Joseph and Loretta Ash, Michael Wills, Mary Lewis, Dennis and Virginia Gentry, American Legion Post 58, Fannie Cole, Richard McCammack, Mark and Lori Hutcheson, Forst D. Fuller, George and Ruth Stultz, Humphrey's Outdoor Power, Darrell Felling, Hayes Murphy Sharp and Brackney, Ena Hoskins, the Eagles, John Sigworth, Linda York, Don and Marilyn Lewis, William Steele, Tri-County Bank and Trust, Charles Keller, Stone's Auto Body, 3-D Auto Supply, Frank and Marie Laroche, Linda Merkel, Don Rumley, Beth Broadstreet, Darcy Hendershot, M&K Transportation, Cox Trucking, VFW Men's Auxiliary and Putnam County ED Club 16.

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