COLUMN: Help us give children a brighter holiday season

Submitted photo.

Ellis County Sheriff Johnny Brown.

This Monday kicks off the sixth annual Ellis County Employee Toy Drive and we hope you’ll join us in helping the kids in our local children’s homes enjoy a brighter holiday season.

We’ve challenged ourselves to make this the best Toy Drive ever, so your Sheriff’s Office has teamed up with the local DPS office to take the lead on ensuring every child at both the Texas Baptist Home and the Presbyterian Children’s Home has at least one present under the Christmas tree. In previous years, we had alternated which home was the beneficiary. Last year, the county toy drive benefitted the Presbyterian home and we helped Trooper James Colunga and the DPS with an effort at the Baptist home.

As of this Monday afternoon, we’ll have donation boxes set up at all of these county offices: Ellis County Sheriff’s Office (main station), all four county precinct barns, Adult Probation Services, Ellis County Clerk’s Office, Ellis County District Clerk’s Office, Ellis County Tax Office, and Constable Pct. 1, 2 and 3 offices. County employees are being asked to participate and we certainly welcome and appreciate your participation by dropping off presents and or gift cards. You’ll have until Monday, Nov. 30, to drop your items by.

We’re also holding an in-house fundraising campaign for the Toy Drive and participants are already making their donations to your Sheriff’s Office’s “No Shave November & December” effort. For $25, any deputy will be allowed to wear a neatly trimmed goatee or beard during those two months, with all proceeds going to the Toy Drive.

Another special initiative planned for the Toy Drive is one where you can help out. On Friday, Nov. 27, our deputies and DPS troopers will be on hand at the Walmarts in Ennis, Midlothian and Waxahachie with a paper gingerbread man for each of the 94 kids the Toy Drive will benefit. Each gingerbread man will list a child’s first name, age, sex and his or her three wishes.

Folks, I’ve looked over the wish lists given us by these kids and none of them are big-ticket items. They’re asking for things like toiletry items and socks. I’m pretty sure almost any of us could pick up one of these gingerbread men as you go into that Walmart and come out with every one of those humble wishes fulfilled. Help us with this toy drive by shopping for one or more of these children in need at the same time you’re shopping for your family. After you’ve made your purchases, all you have to do is drop off the gingerbread man and the wish items with any of our deputies or troopers. Our personnel will be there beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 27.

With the wish lists done and the toys collected through the Toy Drive, we should be in good shape then for the pizza parties we’ve got planned for the two homes later that week. If you’d like to speak further with one of the deputies organizing this effort, feel free to contact Deputy Hunter Barnes at 972-825-4949 or Deputy Jeff Prater at 972-825-4934.

Please, everyone, let’s keep our military and service personnel in our thoughts and prayers. We enjoy our rights and freedoms because of their service and safekeeping of our great nation. Y’all have a Blessed Week.

Johnny Brown has served as Sheriff of Ellis County since Jan. 1, 2009, and is a graduate of the National Sheriff’s Institute. He has been in law enforcement for more than 20 years and holds a Master’s Peace Officer’s Certificate with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education.