Austin News

Date: Saturday, December 16, 2023 

Time: 8:00 a.m. 

Locations:

1. Blue Santa Warehouse - 4101 South Industrial Drive Suite #260
2. Green Garage at the Domain – Feathergrass Court next to Dillard’s
3. APD East Substation – 812 Springdale Road
4. APD South Substation – 404 Ralph Ablanedo Drive 

The Austin Police Department (APD) Operation Blue Santa is requesting the public’s assistance with delivering toys and presents to families in our community. 

The perfect volunteer is described as: 

• Willing to be on Blue Santa’s nice list 
• Owns a valid driver’s license 
• Operates a four-wheeled sleigh (Reindeers not included) 
• Optional: passenger with a good taste in holiday jams 

There's no need to sign up, volunteer drivers can directly show up to one of our sites. Help us make this the best day of the year by delivering thousands of gifts to children all around Austin! The gifts will be loaded into your car at each of the sites.

ATTENTION DELIVERY VEHICLES: If you are bringing a trailer to deliver boxes on Delivery Day, or you know boxes will be exposed to open air - please bring straps/tie-downs to secure the boxes and waterproof tarps, etc. in case of rain. 

For the past 50 years, Operation Blue Santa has shared the mission to provide toys and food for families in need during the holiday season. 

This mission started five decades ago, when two APD officers found out that about 20 families on their patrol area would not have a meal or gifts for their children on Christmas eve. The officers put a plan together to collect new and used toys, candy, and food for the first 22 recipient families. That initial compassionate effort continued into the following years and resulted in bigger and better ways of giving to the underprivileged in Austin. To put this in perspective, last year on the 50th Anniversary, Operation Blue Santa provided for 5000 families which meant upwards of 17,000 individual Austin resident children were provided for. 

Original source can be found here.