Page 34 - January 2020 FOP Magazine

Officer Arturo Andonaegui offers his vocal talents to make Operation Santa extra special.
A special detail
Officers relish the call to be part of this ‘Operation’
n BY DAN CAMPANA
n PHOTOS BY FRANK ALATORRE, CPD NEWS AFFAIRS
If you believe Christmas and music to be beautiful compan- ions, then you’ll understand why Officer Arturo Andonaegui considers it an honor to use his velvety voice to spread holiday cheer.
Andonaegui, a 20-year veteran based in the First District, once again shared his gift with families along the Operation Santa route during the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s annual event.
“It’s a way of making sure they have the best Christmas mem- ories,” Andonaegui said. “It keeps you inspired and motivates you to go through [the] more challenging times that lie ahead. And it’s great to be appreciated when you walk into someone’s home; that’s pure emotion.”
At each stop, Andonaegui belted out Christmas classics in the living rooms of families of officers who either were lost or se- verely injured in the line of duty.
Andonaegui was just one of many officers who joined in a very special detail to support Operation Santa. While most stood outside on these brisk December mornings to welcome Santa and his helpers, others played unique roles that made the event a successful team effort.
Officer Van Watts has kept this special motorcade moving by plotting out the intricate traffic routes on the city’s North and South sides for 10 years. And retired Officer Lee Bielecki has raised everyone’s spirits by dressing up as Frosty the Snowman for nearly as long.
“It’s fun and extremely meaningful. It shows the families you appreciate them, and you put a smile on their face,” Bielecki said.
But none of the special moments could happen without Watts coordinating the caravan of vehicles moving from one house to another, ensuring that “everyone gets there safe,” he explained.
While Watts coordinates the travel itinerary with CPMF staff- ers, a legion of officers contribute their time in different ways ⁠—
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many as drivers. Although he didn’t know what to expect, Area North Detective Jeff Everett got behind the wheel to support Operation Santa for the first time.
“I thought it was going to be a couple of vans filled with toys to go to a few houses, present the toys to kids and move on,” Everett said. “But this is such an elaborate, very large-scale op- eration. It impresses me. I didn’t know it was this large.”
Once again, as he has since Operation Santa started, Eighth District Officer Jerome Hoffman donned an elf costume. It takes courage to dress up as one of Santa’s helpers, but Hoffman knows it’s for a good cause and his emotions run deep.
“You see [the kids] when they’re younger, all the way growing up, and the officers that have been killed in the line of duty don’t get to see that,” Hoffman shared. “So that’s kind of tough. It’s pretty hard, for me at least. It’s good to see how happy they are, the kids. They love it. They get all excited. They look forward to it all year.”
The young kids light up at the sight of Santa, his elves and Frosty, but so do Chicago’s finest. Officer Toya O’Bryant, a sev- en-year veteran from the Sixth District, professed her love for all things Christmas and made sure to get a photo with the big guy in the red suit.
O’Bryant and others said the opportunity to work the Oper- ation Santa detail ⁠— which most learned about at the start of