Stuff a Squad collects gifts for children in need
Ben Pifher/MDN Cadet Ian Sheetz, left, Officer Cullen Hall, center, and Officer Carrie Petersen, right, drop off donated gifts to organizations responsible for distributing the gifts to those in need.
Standing in the wind and snow in front of a south Minot business, a group of law enforcement officers from the Minot area were collecting new, unwrapped toys to pass along to those in need this Christmas season.
The gifts were given to the Community Action Partnership, Domestic Violence Crisis Center, Minot Area Homeless Coalition and other organizations in the local area, according to Cullen Hall, an officer with the Minot Police Department. Hall said the goal was to fill up all four of the squad cars brought by the departments to the collection site.
At the end of the event, three cruisers and most of the fourth were filled with gifts donated by the community, according to Matthew Petersen, a deputy with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department.
“We’ll divide them up between their destinations and then we’ll get to go play Santa later today,” said Carrie Peterson, an officer with the Minot Police Department, excited to be able to hand the gifts to their destination organizations later that day.
Monetary donations collected during the event also were split between the receiving organizations with $1,252 collected during the event.
Ben Pifher/MDN Law enforcement officers from Minot and the surrounding area gathered donations for the eighth annual Stuff a Squad Toy Drive on Saturday. Aaron Moss, a Bottineau County sheriff’s deputy, at left, was instrumental in organizing the event.
When asked about the response from the community, Hall said, “I really appreciate seeing the outpouring of support for the community. It’s one of those things where once someone takes charge of it, the community will rally around their own.”
Aaron Moss, a Bottineau County sheriff’s deputy, was described by his peers as the “man with the plan” this past weekend. Moss took the lead with organizing the event, according to other volunteers.
There has been a steady increase in the amount of donations received year-by-year, according to Moss. “Every year it seems to be growing and we’re really excited to see the community’s generosity every year,” he said.
“People come from nearby and far away,” Moss said. He said people look forward to the event each year, sometimes unsure of the date but always sure where they would like to share their generosity.