Page 43 - January 2018

A season of giving – and receiving – in the 25th
n BY NICK SWEDBERG
Christmastime was a season of spirit, songs and surprises in the 25th District.
Officers hosted parties for children and seniors, and they were treated to a celebration of their own by members of the Explorers program, said Officer Steven Archer.
Archer, who has 11 years with the department, said officers enjoyed getting to know more community members, especial- ly young students from the area.
“It actually was really rewarding for me, to hang out with the kids without having to do anything in particular,” he said.
About 40 students from the Hanson Park School, including a classroom of special needs students, visited the district for a couple of hours on Dec. 15. Officers, including one dressed as Santa and another as Buddy the Elf, read off the students’ names and gave each a donated toy. Another officer sang Christmas carols with the children. Police also treated the kids to pizza and pop.
“After that, we just kind of hung out,” said Archer. “They ran around the place.”
Earlier in the month, some of the eldest residents from a few area senior living communities also visited the district. Like the students, the seniors dined with the officers and even re- ceived small gifts.
While both the student and senior holiday parties have been annual events for the last few years, officers at the 25th received something brand-new for Christmas this year. Members of the district’s Explorers program threw a pizza party for police.
Archer said it was intended as a surprise, but it’s hard to keep a secret from inquisitive officers. The Explorers provid- ed pizza and brought homemade items, like macaroni and cheese with Spam.
“They tried to do a surprise party, but we found out about it,” he said. “That was the first time they did that. It was pretty nice of them.” d
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