By Mike Kinney, The Richmond Standard

About 600 local families received not only toys but also food, fresh poultry, and bicycles this holiday season, courtesy of a Richmond community that has banded together every year since 1989 to ensure children and their families in need can have a happy holiday.

The Richmond Fire and Police Holiday Drive, which takes several months and many volunteers to pull off, culminated Saturday with the annual giveaway event at the DeJean Middle School auditorium.

“We couldn’t have done it without the support of our incredible partners like Chevron, Mechanics Bank, Chevron Fire, the Richmond Police Officers Association, the Richmond Firefighters Association, the Richmond Rotary which donated bikes, the Fire Academy, the Richmond Police Explorer Post 110, Touch of New Life, and so many other volunteers and organizations who stepped up to help,” Richmond police officials said.

The Richmond Fire and Police Holiday Program was inspired back in 1989 by now-retired Richmond firefighter Rod Woods, who organized a toy drive. Around that time, the Richmond Police Department had been running a food drive. After many years of growing their separate programs, Fire and Police united as one, with the Chevron Fire Department also stepping up and adding its continued support.

The annual program involves setting out toy donation bins at police and fire stations and donations from individuals, businesses and organizations. For a third year in a row, East Brother Beer Co. hosted a benefit event or the holiday program.

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