Newington Police Hold Annual Stuff-a-Cruiser Holiday Event

Shopping carts lined up outside this Newington Walmart filled up quickly, as members of the Newington Police Department played Santa’s elves for their annual stuff-a-cruiser event on Saturday.

Newington Human Services said the donations would help 400 families put a present under the tree this year.

"It just doesn’t affect certain areas of the state, it affects everywhere," explained Newington Police Community Service officer Jamie DeSimone, who organized this year’s stuff-a-cruiser event.

DeSimone said the community is so generous they not only stuff a police cruiser, they fill an entire mobile command unit year after year. 

“People are very generous and we stuff this whole thing with bicycles, and toys, and non-perishables, and the other one, and sometimes we have to make multiple trips,” DeSimone said.

Rande Damaschi’s family picks up items throughout the year. They donated a cart-full of toys.

"We like to help the community give back because there’s been so much given to us so we feel blessed," said Damaschi, of Wethersfield.

"I feel very good because I know when people wake up on Christmas morning they have toys and it makes them happy," added Lindsey Jordan, who volunteered to hand out fliers.

Anne Dygus, of Berlin, said this time of year she gets more out of giving and spreading holiday cheer.

"Everybody needs the love, everybody needs a little thing to make them smile, make them happy. I want to have some peace and some love and some happiness and some good Christmas," Dygus said. 

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