150 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO DELIVER 1,000 TOYS TO KIDS AT THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Aurora, Colorado – More than 150 uniformed law enforcement officers from throughout Colorado will bring smiles to kids at The Children’s Hospital when they arrive in a motorcade, also known as a “long blue line” -- flashing red and blue lights -- to bring them 1,000 new toys for Christmas. It’s all part of the “8th Annual Cops Fighting Cancer Toy Drive Drop-off” to benefit The Children’s Hospital. The event takes place on Wednesday, December 15, with the gathering of police officers at 9:00 A.M. at the Aurora Sports Park and the motorcade arriving at The Children’s Hospital at 10:15 A.M.

Cops Fighting Cancer drew national attention a few years ago when People Magazine profiled its founder, James Seneca, who started his law enforcement career in Buffalo, N.Y. “My goal is to get the Buffalo Police Department to do this next year, then eventually I’d like to see every major city in the U.S. to do a ‘long blue line,’ says Seneca, “It would be wonderful to see other law enforcement agencies across the country helping kids with cancer in their own cities.”

Mattel, Inc., based in El Segundo, California donated more than 400 of the toys, the rest were donated by residents, businesses, churches and other non-profit organizations.

The event will be “the largest deployment of law enforcement officers since the Democratic National Convention in 2008” according to The Denver Police Department. The “long blue line” will consist of more than 80 police cars, 20 police motorcycles, 3 U.S. Army hummers, 2 K-9 units and a helicopter. There will also be a fly-over with 5 F-16 Military Jets. Officers from 30 different local, state and federal law enforcement agencies will participate. Streets will be blocked off during the procession. The trip is four miles long and will take approximately 15 minutes.

Once the officers arrive at The Children’s Hospital they’ll each carry a bundle of toys, while patients watch excitedly from large front windows. The officers will then proceed up to the patient floors to deliver toys to more than 250 children, congratulating them on their courage and perseverance.

“If a little emotional support helps a child get through another day then I’m doing my job,” says James Seneca, the founder of Cops Fighting Cancer and a cancer survivor himself who is heading up the toy drive.

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Ginger Delgado
ginger@realprmedia.com