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Holiday Happenings
Chicago Police Officers spread spirit of the season throughout city
■ BY ERIKA WURST
For Chicago Police Officers, the holiday season brought with
it no shortage of memorable moments when they connected with the most important people around — the citizens they serve and protect every day.
Whether through organizing toy or clothing drives, making trips to the store to purchase gifts or offering simple signs of kindness, officers spread goodwill and cheer to those in need. Here’s a look at some of the holiday happenings around the city.
Operation Santa
At Murillo’s home, “Silent Night” was sung in Spanish. At the Brumley home, Frosty the Snowman danced happily as family members sang “Walking in a Winter Wonderland.”
“The core of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s mis- sion is making sure the families of our heroes are always re- membered and never forgotten,” said Phil Cline, the founda- tion’s executive director. “Operation Santa is our effort to show the children of the fallen and injured how much we care about them and to remind them that they are always a part of the Chi- cago police family.”
5th District Winter Wonderland
The 5th District opened its doors and hearts to the communi- ty on Dec. 15 as officers held the district’s first-ever Winter Won- derland Festival.
The festival lit up the faces of dozens and dozens of children who were treated to gifts, pictures with Santa, a petting zoo and train rides. They got to make their own candy and gingerbread houses amongst a forest of brightly lit Christmas trees and dec- orations.
Before the festivities began, officers and Commander Joel Howard, working in partnership with Operation Warm, gave away winter coats to disadvantaged children in the local com- munity.
Chicago Police Officers traded their blue uniforms for red and green ones and traveled the city as elves during the Chicago Po- lice Memorial Foundation’s 12th annual Operation Santa event.
The two-day event, held on Dec. 15 and 16, took officers across the city of Chicago to visit the children of their slain or seriously injured co-workers. With Santa and Mrs. Claus in tow, the elves brought gifts, songs and good cheer to 12 families.
A full police motorcade traveled many miles as Operation Santa visited the families of several officers, including Veronica Murillo, Cedric Brumley, Nathaniel Taylor and Paul Nauden.
54 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JANUARY 2019