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Deerfield Police successfully collect food and toys for needy
Lance Corporal Dave Below of Palos Heights (left) takes a toy gift from Janice Becker of Buffalo Grove who is the branch manager of Deerfield Bank and Trust.
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Updated: December 20, 2012 2:26PM
DEERFIELD — Saturday’s rain didn’t dampen the holiday spirits at the Deerfield Police Department’s Third Annual Charity Drive-Through event.
The effort, which was presented by police personnel and U.S. Marines in partnership with community businesses, resulted in a large van full of toys for under-privileged children, and four vans of canned food, personal care items and cleaning supplies for the Deerfield Township Food Pantry.
“A lot of people don’t associate need with Deerfield, but they would be surprised. There are a lot of people here who are hurting here,” said Deerfield Police Communications Director Mary Anne Glowacz.
Vehicle after vehicle of donors stopped at the tent in the parking lot at Deerfield Road and Rosemary despite the somber and soggy weather.
But drivers didn’t even have to leave their cars, because volunteers scooped up their donations and placed them in boxes.
The project was the idea of Jack Frigo, president of Frigo & Co., a Deerfield real estate business.
“We wanted to support the Toys for Tots program that the police worked on and this type of collection made it easy. We didn’t have a goal, just high expectations,” said Frigo.
“It’s a great community effort. We had the support of Mayor Harriett Rosenthal and village manager Kent Street, West Deerfield Township and several businesses.”
They were: Deerfield Shopper’s Court, Deerfield Bank & Trust, Italian Kitchen, and Mutual Ace Hardware of Highland Park.
Hannah Kroll, a police department community service officer, even brought a mother goat and one of her kids from Kroll’s Farm in Waukegan, which belongs to her mother, to give city children a chance to touch a real live farm animal.
“This is a good community outreach to bring together police, residents and business people,” said Kroll of Waukegan, who also brought toys and her two-year-old daughter, Keeley, with her to introduce the child to the idea of charitable donation.
Tom Yatabe of Highland Park dropped off a Barbie doll and Hot Wheels with the help of his five-year-old son, Tommy.
“I was on my way to the bank when I saw this,” Yatabe said. “I thought it was a good way to teach Tommy about giving.”
