Police officers, Santa Barbara community deliver gifts to families in need

Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s not Santa distributing bicycles, helmets and stuffed animals to families in need this holiday season, it’s the Santa Barbara Police Department and several other community partners.

Leading the spread of holiday cheer is SBPD Beat Coordinator Officer Craig Burleigh. 11 deserving children in the Santa Barbara community will be receiving the gifts thanks to the collaborative effort with Tri-County Produce, Hazard’s Cyclesport, Santa Barbara PetSmart, and the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coaliation.

The project began with John Dixon of Tri-County Produce donating 11 bicycles. Bruce Davis and the staff at Cyclesport assembled and safety checked all the bikes, and the SB Bicycle Coaliation provided the helmets for each of the bikes.

Santa Barbara PetSmart donated large stuffed animals to be included as part of the gifts.

The Police Department says that officers often encounter families with children that have endured hardship, tragedy or been the victims of violence. Now, these children will be receiving some holiday cheer from a very giving community.

This is another example of what’s right with our community.