<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr"><span></span></div><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><span></span></div><div dir="ltr">Courtesy of <i>KXLY</i> (Spokane-Coeur d’Alene) at:</div><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.kxly.com/news/coeur-d-alene-police-dept-drops-off-20-000-worth-of-toys-at-sacred-heart-children-s-hospital/941835659">https://www.kxly.com/news/coeur-d-alene-police-dept-drops-off-20-000-worth-of-toys-at-sacred-heart-children-s-hospital/941835659</a><br><div><br></div><div>———————————————</div><div><br></div><div><div><h1 class="headline" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-size: 1.75rem; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility; color: rgb(17, 17, 17); line-height: 1.15; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, sans-serif; overflow: hidden; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Coeur d'Alene Police Dept. drops off $20,000 worth of toys at Sacred Heart Children's Hospital</h1></div><div><br></div><div>SPOKANE, Wash. - Absolutely blown away by the generosity of North Idahoans was how several Coeur d'Alene Police Officers described their three weekends of gift gathering.</div><div><br></div><div>"Our first year we used half a dozen wheelchairs to bring up the boxes, the second year we had a trailer about halfway full, and this year we had the whole trailer and a couple of squad cars filled," said Captain David Hagar.</div><div><br></div><div>He says the opportunity to give back to the hospital is a personal one for the force.</div><div><br></div><div>"We have had six or seven officers who had their children cared for here at Sacred Heart Children's Hospital," he said, "we estimate that all together they spent 12-15 months here in the hospital."</div><div><br></div><div>Unloading 64 boxes of toys and other gifts for all ages, took the full complement of police officers, who walked the boxes up to the hospital's Santa Store, which is a "store" in name only. Patients will get to go around and pick out gifts for not only themselves, but their siblings and parents who are with them during their stay.</div><div><br></div><div>"It is so important to continue traditions and to make it feel like Christmas," said Child Life Specialist Krista Robak, "even though something terrible has come into their life, joy is necessary too."</div><div><br></div><div>She says the excitement and happiness is overwhelming when the children see all the toys.</div><div><br></div><div>The generosity means a lot, not only to patients, but the hospital staff and police officers as well.</div><div><br></div><div>"We see a lot of the dark in society and this gives us something that is a bright spot, and we know its going to help out a lot of kids," said Hagar.</div></div><div><br></div><div>———————————————<br><br><div id="AppleMailSignature" dir="ltr"><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Have a merry Christmas, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.”</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">– Roy L. Smith</span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>