Police chief credits elves with success of annual holiday campaign
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
West Caln Township Police Sgt. Christopher J. Fries (left) and Officer Adam D. Pozza rearrange some of the toys to ensure that there’s space to walk in the township lobby.
When the child’s screaming stopped, West Caln Township Police Chief Curt Martinez feared the worst: Hurricane Sandy had uprooted a mature tree, toppling it onto a ranch home on Cambridge Road.
First on the scene, Martinez busted through a jammed front door and had to get down on his knees to find the family members in the wreckage. In the process, he formed a lasting bond with the 4-year-old girl who was trapped with her parents.
“I was able to get her out … she was in a back bedroom,” Martinez said, adding that her parents were rescued a short time later. “She was talking to me the whole time; it was pretty special.”
Now, even though the family is staying with relatives in another township, the girl will be part of a West Caln Christmas tradition organized by Martinez. Now in its fifth year, a “Toys for Tots” campaign gets more people involved every year, he said.
A blue tarp still covers the roof collapsed by a mature tree that was uprooted on Cambridge Road in West Caln Township during Hurricane Sandy.
The majority of the toys collected are given to the “Toys for Tots” organization; however, Martinez always keeps a reserve. He said he works with the school district to determine whether any families with children are experiencing hardships – such as losing a home – that threaten to diminish their youngsters’ holiday joy.
This year about half a dozen families will be graced by Santa’s presence – he will arrive in a caravan of trucks from the Wagontown and Martin’s Corner Fire Companies. The girl, presently living outside the township, will get a different visitor. “I’m taking care of her myself,” Martinez said. “It’s hard to put into words, but it was wonderful to have such a positive outcome … When I first saw the house, I was scared.”
Martinez said the success of the “Toys for Tots” drive could not happen without volunteer hours from numerous elves, including members of the Police Department and township employees. Some of the assistants don’t work in the building that houses the giant toy collection, he said.
For example, Girl Scout Troop 41365 from Pope John Paul II Elementary School and Troop 4169 from Friendship Elementary School contributed their gift-wrapping talents on Tuesday. Martinez said other cadets and senior troops from the Greater Coatesville Area Girl Scouts would also lend a hand.
The tree in the West Caln Township building lobby is surrounded by “Toys for Tots.”
For the past several years, one township couple served as the campaign’s primary benefactor, hosting a massive $20-per-person dinner at their home the day before Thanksgiving and then orchestrating a whirlwind “Toys for Tots” shopping spree on Black Friday.
This past summer, the couple moved out of the township. “I wasn’t sure we were going to be able to pull this off,” said West Caln Sgt. Christopher J. Fries as he surveyed the township lobby, overstuffed with games and teddy bears.
Martinez said he remained optimistic. “A lot of people really stepped up to make this happen,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see.”
