Smiles, Hugs Greet Lawmen
. . . UH, SANTAS

Published December 14, 1998
© 1998 The Arizona Republic

By Janelle Cowgill, The Arizona Republic

The group of cops would ''pass the hat'' among themselves each year around Christmas, chipping in a buck or two to buy a needy youngster a new toy.

Roy Reyer of Wickenburg wanted to do more. ''I thought, yeah, this is great that we're helping out one kid, but let's see if we can help out more,'' he said. So about 15 years ago, he founded Cops Who Care, a non-profit organization made up of law enforcement officers that helps needy and at-risk kids in the Wickenburg area.

That first year, the group gave 125 kids Christmas gifts. Last year's count was just over 900 children, and this year's numbers are expected to top that.

Folks from the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the sheriff's offices of Maricopa and Yavapai counties have since joined the efforts of those at the Wickenburg Police Department.

''What's neat about this program is that it establishes a link between law enforcement and children in the community,'' said Reyer, 44. ''The officers are known, and the kids see them around town and say, 'Hey, that's the cop that got me a Christmas toy.' ''

Kids from Aguila, Circle City, Congress, Morristown, Wickenburg, Wittmann and Yarnell all benefit from the Cops Who Care program.

Reyer said that he sees the kids around town all the time, and since there's such a need for assisting at-risk kids in the Wickenburg area, the Cops Who Care program has expanded to include other seasonal activities.

The group hosts an Easter egg hunt in the spring, and coordinates relay races and other games for kids during the Fourth of July holiday.

But it's the Christmas tradition that gets the most attention from the kids. Reyer, a retired Maricopa County Sheriff's Office lieutenant, said that about $20,000 in monetary donations will be used this year to buy new toys for the tots. And that doesn't include the toys already donated. ''With the donations we get, we easily spend all of that money,'' Reyer said. ''You've got about 900 kids . . . that's a lot of toys.'' About two gifts go to each child, he said.

The Community Action Program - a social service agency in Wickenburg - sends a list of needy families to Reyer, who then makes up packages of gifts for each family. The toys are distributed at two locations - one in Wickenburg and another in Wittmann.

A surprise visit by Santa Claus, who trades in his reindeer and sleigh for the sheriff's chopper, lights up the eyes of the younger ones. ''You've got these kids that are sometimes poor, walking around with no shoes, no jackets, and haven't bathed in a while,'' Reyer said, ''but once they see Santa, boy, they just light up with enthusiasm. ''And they start to think, 'Well, cops must be good because there's Santa Claus!'

''Santa hands out the packages - thousands of toys wrapped by a few dozen community members - to the grateful families.

Some local businesses bake cookies and donuts, Reyer said.

''We can't survive without the support of the community,'' he said, while noting that they could use a few more hands to help with wrapping gifts. But with all the work that's part of the Cops Who Care force, Reyer said that the rewards outweigh the efforts. ''That's my reward,'' Reyer said, ''getting hugs from all the kids.''

McGovern/The Arizona Republic Roy Reyer, a retired sheriff's deputy who lives in Wickenburg, founded Cops Who Care. After a modest beginning about 15 years ago, the group now provides gifts each year to 900 children.