Page 34 - 01A2_CL7_DEC16.indd

Season of Giving
to The
gPolice
g
Lunch Power FOP Family Auxiliary Lunch with Santa gives police officers the one
gift they all want during the holiday season
n BY NICK SWEDBERG
n PHOTOS BY JAMES PINTO
Officer Carmen Malkowski makes it a point to bring her daughters to the annual Chicago FOP Family Auxil- iary Lunch with Santa every year because the event puts police officers in a special place. Nowhere else offers the wonder of the North Pole combined with the trimmings of the FOP Hall.
It’s a safe environment for police families to mingle to be sure, and a place where the kids and officers make life- long friends they otherwise might not have had a chance to meet if not for the gathering, shares Malkowski, who works in the 1st District.
“It brings us together as fellow officers and also brings our families to have an annual event that our children are looking forward to and can depend on,” she continues.
Lunch with Santa also gives the gift of family time. It’s a time for Officer Malkowski to bond with her daughters, 8-year-old Alexandra and 12-year-old Izabella. Alexandra took a break from hanging out near Jolly Ol’ St. Nick to say she particularly enjoys seeing K9 Officer Bolt, a 4-year-old black Labrador Retriever bomb dog, sniffing around the
34 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ DECEMBER 2016
presents and adding to the festivities.
And that’s what this joyous event is all about. For a
quarter century, the FOP Family Auxiliary has hosted this special holiday get-together for the families of Chicago Police Officers. Lunch with Santa might have created an even bigger presence than usual this year, and not just be- cause of the presents.
With the challenges on the streets, the three hours at the FOP Hall on Dec. 3 felt like an escape to the North Pole for those in attendance. And because so many offi- cers work during the holidays – especially on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – even sitting down with family for a meal this time of year can sometimes be difficult.
“We do this so their families can be together,” notes Family Auxiliary President Angie Haynes. She said officers are getting a “bad rap,” and this event is the organization’s way of giving back to them.
Hundreds of members and their families packed the FOP Hall for this year’s Lunch with Santa, and the menu included more than a hearty meal. A combo entertained with Officer Arturo Andonaegui, a vocalist for the CPD Honor Guard and Chaplains Unit who is also assigned to the 1st District, singing lead.