Valdese Police Department brings Santa to elementary school

The Valdese Police Department and Santa have joined forces in Operation Blue Santa to spread holiday cheer to the students at Valdese Elementary School.

Members of the department and Santa surprised the Valdese Elementary School students on the morning of Friday, Dec. 13, for the inaugural event.

Officers told the different grades that Santa’s sleigh had broken down in Valdese. While he was in town, he and the officers decided to visit the kids to spread some holiday cheer.

Throughout the morning, smiling kids told Santa what they wanted, asked officers various questions, and sang along to traditional Christmas stories like “The Nutcracker,” “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” Later in the day, the school came together and had lunch with Santa and police officers.

Santa, also known as retired Morganton Public Safety Lt. Gary Massey, thought the kids enjoyed it and he hopes to continue bringing joy to all.

“We had a good time … I appreciate the department doing this,” Massey said.

Regarding the event, Valdese Police Chief Marc Sharpe said, “Hopefully, this thing continues to grow.”

Sharpe and his department have partnered with the local housing authority and school system to identify and support children in need. The program serves a dual purpose: fostering stronger connections between the department and the community’s youth while providing a platform to deliver essential assistance to those children.

Operation Blue Santa marked a strong beginning, with plans to establish it as an annual tradition.

He envisions an officer taking a child out to a special dinner and going shopping for essentials like clothes or personal hygiene products. During Christmas time, they can buy presents for a family member or a gift for themselves.

Sharpe noted that this would require funding, but the Chaplain’s Program is actively exploring potential funding opportunities. The multi-denominational program offers support services for the police department whether it’s bringing a hot meal, lending an ear, or giving advice.

PROGRAM’S SUCCESS

Several officers gathered in the chief’s office to offer their thoughts on the event.

Officer Tyler Watson was one of the volunteers who read “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” As he went through the book, he said the kids were singing along and smiling. “It made my day, and I know it made their day, too,” he said.

Watson explained that the community sees officers driving around and when they do show up, it is typically during one of their worst moments. “It (this event) shows that we care for our community,” Watson said.

Administrative Assistant Harley Chesek-Brown thought the kid’s reactions were “absolutely golden.”

“I think it was heart-warming to be able to do this with the kids for the holidays,” she said.

Officer Matthew Smith said the kids loved the event and gave the officers the chance to interact with everyone. Many kids gave hugs and fist bumps and asked questions of them like the number of people they arrested or what was pinned on their vests. Smith also said that some kids were interested in being a cop one day.

Sharpe and Smith laughed over one question about cops liking doughnuts and how one kid said they wouldn’t share their Grinch doughnuts back in the classroom.

“I think it was great, how the interactions with the youth of the community went,” Smith said. “... Being able to do more than a quick ‘Hi, how are you?’ was a good thing for us and them.”

Assistant Chief Jamie Buchanan thought this event was a good way to kick off the holiday season for the kids. “It was exciting to see the kids get excited for Santa coming out,” he said.

Operation Blue Santa provided children with the chance to meet St. Nicholas, an opportunity many might not otherwise have.