COLUMBUS – Police officers in Columbus and Dublin are among those collecting toys and clothing for children in their communities this holiday season.
The Columbus Division of Police will host its second annual “Cram-A-Cruiser” toy drive at the Driving Park Community Center, 1100 Rhoads Avenue, from 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Saturday.
Officers will be in the parking lot accepting new, unwrapped toys and the Columbus Police Foundation will be available to accept monetary donations.
The toys collected will be dispersed to families of homicide victims and to financially struggling families throughout Columbus.
The inaugural “Cram-A-Cruiser” event in 2021 collected gifts for 156 children, many of whom were related to victims of violent crime.
The Dublin Police Department’s fourth annual “Fill A Cruiser” toy drive is also Saturday.
Anyone who wants to contribute can drop off unwrapped gifts from their vehicles at a drive-thru area outside the city’s Justice Center, 6555 Commerce Parkway, between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
To help provide gifts for children in all age groups, organizers recommend donating presents for children from newborns to 10 years old and from 11 to 17 years of age. Gift cards are also accepted and can make enjoyable gifts for young adults.
Gift cards will be used to buy clothing or other items needed for winter by Get Behind The Badge, an organization established in 2001 after the line of duty death of Whitehall Police Officer Terry McDowell to provide financial assistance to the families of police and firefighters who have been killed or critically wounded on or off duty.
Last year’s “Fill A Cruiser” event collected more than 500 toys for families as well as cash and gift card donations that went to purchase winter coats and other clothing for more than 100 kids.