Washington County Sheriff’s Office spreads holiday cheer through Toys for Joy campaign
Courtesy of Elizabeth Davidson
Officer Joe Joscsak, right, delivers gifts to Erin and Savannah Beatty, who enjoyed unwrapping their early Christmas presents and sitting in the police cruiser Thursday morning. The gifts were delivered through the Washington County Sheriffs Department Toys for Joy program.
Courtesy of Elizabeth Davidson
Camryn and Gabriel Claar, of Burgettstown, unwrap gifts, including toys and boots, delivered through Toys for Joy. DARE instructor Elizabeth Davidson said officers and deputies had a difficult time finding sleds, one of the gifts the Claars received this year.
Courtesy of Elizabeth Davidson
Washington County sheriffs deputies, police officers and volunteers shopped for items on the Toys for Joy wish list and delivered those gifts to area families in need on Wednesday and Thursday.
Image courtesy Elizabeth Davidson
DARE instructor Elizabeth Davidson, far left, and Officer Joe Joscsak delivered gifts to Camryn, Caleigh and Gabriel Claar of Burgettstown on Wednesday. The kids enjoyed unwrapping presents and sitting in the police car.
Washington County Chief Deputy Sheriff Tony Andronas, Mike Lauderbaugh and Sheriff Samuel Romano donated their time and resources to shop for and wrap gifts for 32 area families, for the Washington County Sheriffs Department Toys for Joy campaign.
Camryn Claar, of Burgettstown, checks out the interior of a police car after unwrapping gifts delivered by officers Davidson and Joscsack Wednesday. The gifts were donated through the Washington County Sheriffs Department Toys for Joy campaign.
After unwrapping gifts, Camryn and Caleigh Claar, recipients of Toys for Joy Christmas presents, kick back in the DARE police cruiser. Toys for Joy is in its second year and provides local families in need with gifts for the holidays.
For the second year, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department is spreading holiday cheer through its Toys for Joy campaign.
“Last year, we just really felt like most of the people that we dealt with were down on their luck – the pandemic,” said DARE instructor Elizabeth Davidson. “We wanted to do some good for the community.”
As a DARE instructor, Davidson works in local schools and sees firsthand how some families are struggling. She said the sheriffs department collected wish lists from area school districts, including Burgettstown and McGuffey, the Salvation Army and the Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania women’s shelter.
Donations from campaigns sponsors Triton; Mike and Tera Lauderbaugh, of Red Fox Winery; and McAdoo’s Towing and Crane Service made it possible, Davidson said, for sheriffs deputies and police officers to check every item off of those wish lists.
“We had a lot of really generous donors that gave money. We just want to give a shout out to our donors,” Davidson said.
Deputies and police officers also donated money, and time, to the cause. They, along with Washington County Sheriff Samuel Romano, Chief Deputy Sheriff Tony Andronas and Lauderbaugh, spent a day shopping for and wrapping presents.
“We had a hard time finding stuff,” said Davidson with a laugh, who added inventory at many stores was sparse. “Nobody had sleds. We had to go to a couple stores to get sleds. We went to, like, 14 stores to get a Batman toy.”
Earlier this week, deputies and police officers wrapped pretty packages and filled police cars as full as Santa’s sleigh with presents. On Wednesday, they delivered those gifts to the families in need.
Delivery is the best part, for everyone.
Local law enforcement enjoys interacting with the families, and “the kids get to play in the police car,” Davidson said.
In total, the Toys for Joy campaign delivered gifts to 32 area families, donated five Salvation Army Angel tree gifts and dropped off DVDs, action figures and board games to the women’s shelter.
“I know it’s small in comparison,” said Davidson. “For us, it’s meaningful.”
It’s meaningful for the families on the receiving end, for community donors, and for the sheriffs deputies.
“A lot of our sheriffs come from humble beginnings and remember places like Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army buying gifts for their families,” Davidson said. “We love the community. We want to give back as much as we can.”