Spread Christmas Cheer with Cops for Tots Fundraiser
Alyssa Waller, Staff Writer
Lieutenant Patrick Fortenberry of the Greer Police Department, who is the coordinator for Cops for Tots said the GPD will host its 33rd annual Cops for Tots program on Saturday, Dec. 11. Cops for Tots program takes place every November, usually lasting the whole month.
Cops for Tots started in 1988 when GPD bought and delivered presents to a family in the Sunnyside Community. Every year since then, GPD has partnered with the Greer community to provide presents to underprivileged children so that no child is left without presents on Christmas Day. Last year, GPD was able to provide presents for more than 200 children in the Greater Greer Area.
In addition to student contributions, during the upcoming weeks, members of the Greer community can assist the GPD by providing monetary donations or new unwrapped presents that can be dropped off at the GPD. The monetary donations are tax deductible and checks should be made out to the “Greer Cops for Tots” program.
When it comes to this year’s donations, however, there is no set goal. “No set goal because I feel like every tiny gift is going to make a big difference to some of these kids,” said Joshua Styles, assistant professor of Christian Studies, Criminal Justice and Legal Studies at North Greenville University.
In addition to monetary and toy donations, GPD for the past three years has also opened up their physical training course for donors to run. The goal for Styles this year — increase the number of student participants to 40 or 50 students running the course this year. In the past numbers have topped out at about 25 student participants.
Styles and Assistant Professor of CJLS, Staci Rollins, are challenging the NGU community to not only donate, but run the course. Styles said, “It’s a once-a-year thing.”
The CJLS department first became aware of Cops for Tots program with GPD through conversations that both Styles and Rollins had with one of the Lieutenants with the GPD. Styles and Rollins work to build relationships with police departments in the area and this conversation and joint event is a result of those connections.
Both Styles and Rollins had asked if there was anything that students could do to get involved and support the GPD — somehow Cops for Tots came up.
“We also had the thought of it would be pretty awesome if our students could do any sort of training at all with the Greer Police Department,” said Styles.
Styles continued, “I know that a lot of police departments have been trying to build relationships with people within the community and just to genuinely care for and serve the communities they are policing.”
Last year the department had put in place COVID protocols for this fundraising event, but this year there are no protocols in place. The run will take place at an outside course — the same course from the two years prior to COVID.
Throughout the year GPD will host several events along with this fundraiser to make Christmas happen for these families, but the obstacle course event, has been going on for three years.
The goal that Joshua Styles, assistant professor of Christian Studies and Criminal Justice and Legal Studies at North Greenville University is to increase the number of student participants to 40 or 50 students running the course this year. In the past numbers have topped out at about 25. student participants.
Students can make a small donation of $5, or bring unwrapped toys — such as small set of Legos, a kickball, a barbie doll, or anything else that a student will be willing to contribute to be placed into a box.
“I am hoping to put it [the donation box] in the cafeteria as soon as I get approval,” Styles said.
For those students unable to make donations, professors are able to spot students Interested students and professors are asked to reach out to Styles informing him that they would like participate or to spot a certain number of students who wish to run the course.
Styles said, “Most professors who have reached out to me just tell us up to this number of students and we will give you $25 to sponsor five students to run the course.”
Besides professors offering to spot students or others who would like to run the course, there have been faculty members who have simply decided to donate, some up to $20.
Styles said, “We want to do whatever small thing that we can that will make a difference in the lives of these kids.”
This partnership does two things for the CJLS students. One is gaining support for the Cops for Tots program so that the kids can have Christmas provided for them. Another is CJLS students to what that obstacle course would be like.
The course is the same that must be passed to become a sworn law enforcement officer in the state of South Carolina. In order to pass, the course must be completed in under two minutes and six seconds.
Styles said, “It kind of gives us the opportunity to both help out Greer Police Department, but it also exposes our students, even some of our faculty and staff to kind of what it is like to be a police officer.”
Any student, regardless of major can participate in Cops for Tots. Anyone is welcome to participate.
“I have sent out emails all my classes, my Christian Studies classes as well. We’re hoping to have other students from other majors out there as well,” said Styles.
GPD is hoping to build relationships within the community, and there are simply a lot of kids whose families cannot afford to buy them gifts. Greer has gotten a lot of support from this toy drive and is ready to provide Christmas for these kids.
“Our motivation is kind of twofold like we want to do the same, we want to support the police department in that specific effort. We also just want to build good relationships with local departments anyway for the sake of our university and the sake of our students,” said Styles.
NGU is one of the only universities that is doing Cops for Tots with the GPD. Southern Wesleyan University located in Greenville, SC may do similar fundraisers for local police departments closer to them.
Styles said, “I’m not aware of any other program or school that has combined this into an obstacle course as part of the fundraiser.”
Students can find more details in an email from Academics, including a signup link. Students, faculty and staff that make either monetary donations or donations of toys are invited to run the GPD physical training course, however they are asked to sign up via the link above, or the link found in the original email and arrive to the event by 12 p.m.
“If people would be willing to sign up via that link. I’d really appreciate it,” Styles said.
For those unable to make a donation or run the course, cheering on fellow students, faculty and staff is free to the public.
*Featured Image: Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com
