Lemoore police and local organizations bring holiday cheer to happy families

And in their special way, Lemoore’s officers and volunteers are bringing Christmas cheer to many Lemoore’s residents by simply giving of themselves.

On successive days this week, Dec. 14 and 15, Lemoore officers, some of them, stepped out of their patrol cars, climbed into their holiday personas, and delivered free smiles to hundreds of kids and adults with their annual “Holiday Shoe Drive” and “Reason for the Season.”

On Thursday, thanks to the largest of local citizens and business – a whole bunch of shoes, many donated by Brian and Jeanne Castadio and Lemoore’s local Kmart, police officers distributed about 70 pairs of new shoes to kids. The wide eyes and smiles were infectious as children tried on new shoes and walked away with a new bounce in their steps.

The program is tied to the local schools where school officials identify families and students who could use the new shoes. On Thursday the families and students trekked to the local police department and picked up their shoes. In many cases, entire families received new footwear.

On Friday The Lemoore Veterans’ Hall was this year’s site for “Reason for the Season” a program that awards bags of Christmas gifts, whole chickens and groceries to local families.

A joint effort by the local police, the department’s Volunteers in Policing (VIPs), and Lemoore Christian Aid, over 100 boxes of food were handed out to local families. They also received a bag full of Christmas gifts and a pair of whole chickens, over 200 of them donated by Lemoore’s Best Buy Market.

Lemoore Christian Aid donated food, purchased by them thanks to grants from Save Mart Foods. Fresno’s Food Bank also gave food for the holiday event.