Fox Chapel Police collect gifts for police athletic league toy drive

Fox Chapel Police Department collected about 200 toys and $250 in monetary contributions for the annual Western Pennsylvania Police Athletic League’s Stuff-A-Store toy drive.

It was the second year the department participated in the event. The collection ended Dec. 9.

“We have more toys this year than last, it was a great success,” said Sgt. Craig Sorg.

Borough staff chipped in with some money, which police will use to buy more presents.

Toys will be taken to the Stuff-A-Store facility in the Monroeville Mall to be wrapped and bagged along with toys collected from at least a dozen other police departments throughout Allegheny County.

Officers from those departments are expected start delivering them them the morning of Dec. 18.

“It’s all about kids, cops and community,” said Joe Risher, Allegheny County Police crime prevention and community relations officer and co-chair of the toy drive. “That’s kind of the slogan of our event. We try to bridge that gap between the police and the community, and the police and the children and this is one way of doing that.

“Every police officer in their various towns throughout the county know what families could use some help. We ask them to pick those families out and let us know the children in that family that needs presents.”

WPAL’s collection began about 15 years ago by the late Jimmy Cvetic, legendary Golden Gloves boxing promoter, boxing coach and Allegheny County Police detective. Cvetic passed away Feb. 15, 2019. He was 69.

The toy drive benefits about 1,000 families each year.

Sorg said he was made aware of the WPAL toy drive after joining Allegheny County Communities and Police Together, a nonprofit dedicated to connecting police departments with one another and bolster community events.

“I’m excited to be a part of it and help families that may be less fortunate or are going through tough times,” Sorg said. “I want every family to have a great holiday season.”

More information about the police athletic league is available at wpal.org.