City of Austin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASERelease Date:
Contact: APD Public Information Office 512-974-5017 Email
Austin Police Operation Blue Santa is well underway, working to ensure approximately 15,000 children will receive gifts this holiday season, as well as food cards for around 5,000 families.
First, at 9 a.m. on December 17, 2021, toys will be brought to the Dell Children's Medical Center for their store where parents can shop on December 20 for their children in the hospital. Following that delivery on December 17, Austin Police Operation Blue Santa will be giving gifts to the children at St. David's Hospital at around 11 a.m. by Chief Chacon, other Chiefs and the Blue Santa Board.
Operation Blue Santa needs volunteers to join in the fun of delivering packages to families and children starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, December 18, 2021. There is no need to sign up ahead of time. Those wishing to volunteer can simply arrive at the Austin Police Operation Blue Santa headquarters located at 4101 South Industrial Drive, Suite 260 that morning and let Blue Santa personnel know how many deliveries they’d like to make. Packages will be loaded into vehicles and delivery addresses will be provided.
We also need volunteers to deliver packages at the secondary sites on the same day:
- Robert T. Martinez Sr. Central East Substation - 812 Springdale Road
- Jaime Padron North Substation - 12425 Lamplight Village Ave.
- Clinton Hunter South Substation - 404 Ralph Ablanedo Dr.
Those going to the substations are asked to proceed to the main Austin Police Operation Blue Santa warehouse after the secondary deliveries are completed as several thousand deliveries will occur at the main warehouse.
Austin Police Operation Blue Santa is a charitable outreach effort created in 1972 by two APD patrol officers who realized that some families in their area would not have gifts or food for their children at Christmas. The distribution began with 20 families from the back of a patrol car. Austin Police Operation Blue Santa will ensure more than 15,000 children receive gifts this the holiday season.
For more information, visit www.bluesanta.org
Media Advisory: You are invited to attend and cover the delivery day at Austin Police Operation Blue Santa headquarters at 8 a.m, on December 18.