6,000 Smiles Later, “Operation Blue Santa” Wraps Up

The brisk wind that swirled through the Centennial High School parking lot Tuesday, like the remnants of the recent snowfall, was a biting reminder that the official start of winter is less than a week away.

And that means Christmas is fast approaching. 

But for 6,000 Pueblo School District 60 elementary school students, a sneak preview of the magic of that special day was provided by members of the Pueblo Police Department who serve D60 as school resource officers.

On Tuesday, “Operation Blue Santa” officially wrapped up with the distribution of new, high-quality toys to the students of Irving and Morton elementary schools.

For the second straight year, a partnership between school resource officers and the Marines Toys for Tots enabled every preschooler through fifth-grade student to take home a coveted prize, from remote-controlled cars to fire-breathing dinosaurs to LEGO builder sets.

For four days, school resource officers and staff from the recipient schools braved conditions more frightful than delightful to ensure a brighter holiday for the youngsters they educate, protect and serve.

Due to the pandemic, the gifts were handed out in a drive-through format at each of the district’s four high schools. And from the arrival of the semi-trailer truck packed to the brim with pallets of boxed-up toys to the handing out of the final gift Tuesday, the operation was an epic one, encompassing logistical savvy, teamwork, dedication and, above all, giving hearts.

“It was good. Overall, a success,” said school resource officer Corporal Anthony Masciotra. “We got a lot of toys to a lot of kids, and everyone has been super grateful and super thankful. I had one father tell me that our gift was the only one his son would be getting this year.

“So it really was worth all the effort.”

To complement the litany of “thank yous” that poured forth from patron vehicles, the school resource officers’ meaningful work was rewarded with donated meals, coffee and donuts, snack bags and piles of handmade holiday cards and letters sure to occupy a prime spot at police headquarters.

“The school resource officers worked on this hard for a week straight,” noted Sergeant Nolan Welsh, himself a fixture at all four giveaways. “We’ve been hustling, but it’s been worth it, every day. We’ve given out 6,000 gifts and saw 6,000 smiles.”

For the educators of Irving Elementary School who served as the name-checking “elves” Tuesday, being able to briefly greet those students who arrived with their family members was a cherished treat.

And vice versa.

“The kids have really been excited to see us,” said Nicole Sanchez, who teaches second grade at Irving. “We’ve been online for quite a bit now, so to have that face-to-face interaction has been wonderful.”

Until Tuesday, Aneysa Guilliams, also a second grade-teacher at Irving, had only seen her students in the virtual realm.

“I haven’t been in-person at all this year, and it’s been so nice to see my kids,” she said. “It’s been really great to even be able to wave to them in the car, and see their faces. There are some really fantastic toys here and I know this will mean a lot to them.”

Tuesday’s giveaway also served as a “make up day” for those families who could not pick up a gift during the four scheduled distribution days.

If a pre-K through fifth-grade family was unable to make it to a distribution site, police plan to deliver extra gifts to elementary and preschools throughout the district by Thursday. Families are asked to contact the principal or an administrator at the school to arrange for the pickup of a gift.

“By the time it’s all said and done, we should be at more than 7,000 gifts given out,” noted Corporal Masciotra.