By Jeff Devine, Editor-in-Chief
Dale County Chronicle
OZARK–I call it the Battle of the Heroes while the City of Ozark just calls it a friendly competition to see how much good they can contribute to the Operation Santa Claus Toy Drive program.
Ozark’s Police and Fire Departments are at the Ozark Walmart today, December 6, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. collecting NEW, UNWRAPPED toys to donate to the Operation Santa Claus toy collection drive to ensure children in the foster care system have a joyful holiday season this year. Toys collected will then be distributed by Dale County Department of Human Resources to foster kids.
“Yeah, we’re just having a friendly competition to see which department collects the most toys for these kids,” one firefighter said when i spoke with him today.
If you would like to donate, you can either make a cash donation and the department you choose will go in and purchase toys from Walmart, or you can shop and donate the toys of your choice. This is the last opportunity to donate for Operation Santa Claus, according to Heather Cohen with the Ozark Mayor’s Office.
Members of the Ozark Police and Fire Departments are collecting toys at Ozark Walmart from 9-3 today, Saturday, Dec. 6. PHOTO BY JEFF DEVINE.
Operation Santa Claus started when the Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service, Frank Hitchcock, authorized postal workers to read and respond to children’s letters to Santa Claus. The program, started in 1912, has continued ever since and evolved into a major toy collection drive that helps millions of kids across the country each Christmas.
