HOUSTON - With Christmas fast approaching, so many people are going through lists, running to stores for last-minute gifts.
So many children will unwrap multiple gifts this holiday season. Houston Police Department officers want to make sure the youngest crime victims are able to unwrap at least one present.
HPD officers are a part of an after-hours boxing club. On Dec. 1, 2018, officers organized a sparring match with Houston Fire Department firefighters. Admission was a donated toy. Dozens and dozens of toys were collected.
"You know, it was for the kiddos. So it was like, 'Let’s do this,'" said Officer Cynthia Garcia who participated in the sparring match. "It’s really great to be a part of something beautiful like this."
The Houston Police Department Boxing Club and the Houston Fire Department Boxing Club delivered 11 boxes of toys to the Children's Assessment Center on Monday.
"This is what Christmas is all about," said Officer Juan Martinez. "Whenever there’s crimes against children, it definitely does strike a nerve."
Staff with the Children's Assessment Center say counselors and police investigators have worked with more than 5,000 children who've experienced a crime in Harris County from January to October 2018. The hope is the center will have a toy to give to each child connected to a case.
While donations pour in during the holidays, CAC staff says sometimes, in the middle of the year, more donated toys are needed.
"When you look at the men and women behind us, that they’re giving up their own time and their own energy and their own money to make a difference in someone’s life, it says a lot about the collective heart of our department," said HPD Chief Art Acevedo.