For the third year, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office with the help of several Community Partners including Woodforest Bank and Walmart put together Operation Blue Elf. During the school year, the Sheriff’s Office stays in contact with school counselors to find children in need. They then contact those families to find out what the children may want for Christmas. From there a fundraiser is held and toy drive. Deputies and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Citizens Academy Alumni then put a shopping trip together to purchase toys that were needed and not collected. For the past 2-years, it took over a month to individually wrap the gifts. However, this year gift bags were used for the children. On Saturday, all the children who had been selected throughout the year were brought to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds for a day of activities and gift-giving, THey were able to talk with Santa and Ms. Claus, train rides, petting zoo, and vehicles from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Patrol Division, Traffic Division (motorcycle), SWAT, Livestock were on display. Many selected getting the feeling of a backseat in the patrol car over the front seat playing with the red lights. MCHD was on hand with an ambulance display and to select and adjust helmets for children who received bicycles. In all 1103 children attended with their families. Sheriff Rand Henderson expects it to grow even larger as the years go on.
