Enjoy the stuffing

Published 5:49 pm Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Detective Carlos Gonzalez lifts up 2-year-old Jacob Hickok so he can put the toy he bought into the police car during last year’s “stuff the police car” event. The police are holding the event again this Saturday.

Detective Carlos Gonzalez lifts up 2-year-old Jacob Hickok so he can put the toy he bought into the police car during last year’s “stuff the police car” event. The police are holding the event again this Saturday.

While you’re stuffing yourself with stuffing on Thanksgiving, several local organizations are gearing up for “stuffing” various vehicles — a police car, a sheriff’s car and even a train caboose — with toys for children.

The Suffolk Police Department will encourage citizens to help stuff the police car from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 28. They will be at two locations: the Chick-fil-A at 1018 N. Main St. and the Walmart at 6259 College Drive.

“It’s to help out the kids in the Suffolk area,” said Maj. Steve Patterson. “This is a time for us to help out the kids and help out the community.”

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Toys collected by the Suffolk Police Department will be given to Toys for Tots.

The next weekend, Suffolk Sheriff’s Office will collect toys from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 5 at two locations: the North Main Street Walmart and the College Drive Walmart. The toys collected downtown will go to Elephant’s Fork Elementary School, and the toys collected in North Suffolk will go to Creekside Elementary School.

“Last year, we just had an overwhelming response at the North Main Street location,” said Katie Jones, the civil process secretary for the sheriff’s office. “Everything we collected went to Elephant’s Fork Elementary School. It was so many, it was enough for each child in the school to have a toy, which was great.”

Adding Creekside gives the office a higher goal to hit. “They have over a thousand students, I think,” Jones said. “In these economic times, when things are tight, people just dig deep. I don’t think anybody wants to see a child without on Christmas. We’re looking forward to it and hope it’s going to be as big a success as last year.

“I just think it’s great that the law enforcement in Suffolk is going out of their way to make sure no child is without on Christmas,” Jones added.

Also on Dec. 5, the Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum will stuff its 1962 red caboose with toys, which will be donated to Toys for Tots.

The museum will be open, and Santa will be on hand to help fill the caboose from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Naylor said. Cookies and hot cocoa will be served on the porch, and the gift shop will offer a 10-percent discount on toys that will be stuffed into the caboose.

“It will give people a chance to look around and see the trains as well as donating to a good organization,” said Demi Naylor, museum coordinator.