Two events last weekend illustrate just how much help the Jolly Ol’ Elf gets each year from generous county residents. Kingfisher Police Department and its Women’s Auxiliary hosted the first-ever “Christmas With a Cop” on Saturday and Kingfisher County Department of Human Services and Stack Grill hosted a Christmas party on Sunday for Kingfisher County teens currently in foster care.

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Santa may be pretty awesome, but sometimes he needs a little help spreading Christmas cheer.

Two events this weekend illustrated the willingness of local residents to help with that task.

Christmas With a Cop

Kingfisher Police Department and its newly formed Women’s Auxiliary hosted the first-ever Christmas With a Cop, where young people were escorted by the city’s men in blue to shop for and wrap gifts for their entire families.

“We shopped with 14 children, but they in turn were encouraged to shop for their family members and siblings in the home,” Chief Dennis Baker said. “We estimate that the 14 children shopped for at least 64 people.”

The busy day started at 7:30 a.m., when the participating children met their officer and auxiliary escorts at the police station and began discussing their gift ideas.

At 8 a.m., a caravan of police vehicles headed to Walmart to shop and then to the Kingfisher County Fairgrounds where gifts were wrapped and more holiday treats were shared.

Santa showed up at 10 am. to take pictures with the children and their offi cers.

The event will be wrapped up this week when Frontline Ministries will help create food boxes for each family, which will be delivered along with a commemorative photo card.

Lifeway Church is creating a video of the event, including drone footage of the shopping caravan, Baker said.

The shopping was made possible through an extensive fundraising campaign by the new auxiliary group, but Baker said he and his fellow officers were blessed as much or more than the children.

“The officers and Ladies’ Auxiliary members who were helping us said that so many of the kids were so humble that it took some coaxing to get them to open up to the idea of spending some money and getting gifts,” Baker said. “Many of them wanted to think more about their siblings and their needs. I think it was a very humbling experience for the officers and auxiliary members.

“We’re counting this fi rst event a complete success. We learned some things as well that we’ll plan to implement for next year’s event, which everyone is looking forward to.”

In addition to Baker, participating offi cers included David Catron, Travis Gray, Dustin Brodrick, Justin Trumbley, Aaron Schlegel, Chod Trout, Dillon Chaloupek, Justin Conner, Sam Ridenhour, Jason East, Richard Staton, Ryan Gibson, Quinton Cline, Broden Carls and Jason Lack.

Auxiliary members and other helpers included: Lora Baker, Lisa Catron, Wanda Gray, Dusti Brodrick, Lindsay Lack, Nikole Schlegel, Jessie Trout, Brianna Chaloupek, Michelle Conner, Tina Throne, Keri East, Bradi Schenk, Stephanie Kale, Heather Cline, Abby Gray, Reid Trout, Ethan Kale, Alyse Trumbley, Chelsea Sta-ton, Makenzie Burk, Colby Kale and Hailey Duffy.

Children who shopped included: Emily Garramone, Natalie Ellis, Athena Admire, Olivia Reyes, Jordyn Beck, Keira Doyle, Joseph Homier, Jaime Rivera, Jayanna Rex, Kylan Southern, Kylee Rojas, Savannah Langford, Braydon Livingston and Camila Cornejo.

Foster Teen Christmas

DHS child welfare worker Debbie Osborn organized the county’s third annual Christmas party for teenagers in foster care, hosted this year by Scott Osborn at the Stack Grill in Kingfi sher, where about 120 teenagers, foster parents and social workers enjoyed a taco bar.

Debbie Osborn noted that teenage foster children often are left out of Christmas activities geared more toward younger children.

“Thispopulationofyouth struggle with Christmas the most,” she said. “They often aren’t in home settings and are separated from their siblings and sit to the side at parties with Santa and activities for younger kids.”

Thanks to generous donors, each teenager went home with a minimum of three gifts and a packed Christmas stocking.

“I was told by a teen once that he had never had his own stocking (at Christmas),” Osborn said. “For a couple of hours, these teens were loved on and the smiles and laughter were amazing.”

Osborn also expressed appreciation to the Stack Grill, Scott Osborn and Ben E. Keith, who donated the food served.
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