Page 44 - January 2018

of cers resort to rovidin a s ecial hristmas for kids
n BY ERIKA WURST
When more than 40 of the near North Side’s neediest chil- dren boarded a bus headed for Dick’s Last Resort on Dec. 5, they had no idea the magic that would await them upon their arrival. As they stepped through the restaurant doors, they were greeted by carolers and festive decorations. There was a feast fit for a king, face painters and of course, a visit from “the Big Guy” himself.
Dozens of excited children, who might have had a less- than-bright Christmas ahead of them, were brought up to center stage and given a hand-selected gift from Santa. It was a dream come true for many, and it was thanks to the hard work of officers from the 18th District and the staff at Dick’s Last Resort.
In 27 years, more than $75,000 in gifts have been pur- chased for the district’s Annual Underprivileged Children’s Christmas Party. The restaurant’s owner, Steve Schiff, gra- ciously provides funding for the presents, which are given to children from local schools and churches in the 18th Dis- trict. The recipients are identified and then invited to attend the event by the police department.
“It’s all about reaching out to those kids that wouldn’t have a Christmas otherwise,” said Stephanie Ramirez, the 018
community relations officer and a 10-year veteran. “I think it’s important for them to feel support and know there are police officers who care about them.”
More than 1,800 children have benefited from the initia- tive since it began in 1990. That’s when 18th District Com- mander Ettore DeVito teamed up with Kathy Posner, a mem- ber of the community policing office’s advisory council, and Dick’s Last Resort manager Paul Grieshaber to create a hol- iday celebration that the children of Cabrini Green would never forget.
Twenty-seven years later, the event is still going strong and is just one of the ways District 18 gives back during the holi- day season. The CAPS Office also hosted a Heroes and Help- ers event in conjunction with Target, which gave 11 children the opportunity to shop with a cop.
Ramirez said the district didn’t forget about its senior citi- zens in their quest to spread holiday cheer, either. A Christ- mas party that brought together more than 50 seniors was held as a way to give back to the City’s oldest residents.
“I think that a lot of our seniors are forgotten about and are by themselves or may not have family,” she said. “Many seniors are in nursing homes. We want to get them out of their rooms and encourage them to know that we haven’t forgotten about them this season.” d
44 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JANUARY 2018
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