Volunteers deliver toys and food to families in need in Clark County

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

The first in line arrived outside at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds at 6 in the morning Sunday, two hours before Santa’s Posse would officially ride.

By 8 a.m., hundreds of cars were in the queue.

“Look at the line here. It’s amazing,” said Clark County Sheriff John Horch. “And it grows every year.”

Cars line up to pick up toys to be delivered during Santa’s Posse Delivery Day on Sunday. Photo by Paul Valencia

A dancing Gingerbread person greeted volunteers who were arriving at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds on Sunday as part of Santa’s Posse. Photo by Paul Valencia

Santa’s Posse, a partnership between the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the local community, delivers toys, bicycles, and food to 1,500 families in need.

Every year, toys are placed in red bags, and hundreds of volunteers show up at the fairgrounds to pick up those bags, plus food, and then set out across the county to make deliveries.

“Delivery day is really special for everybody,” Horch said. “There is a lot of work that goes into it, behind the scenes, to get us to this day. It’s where everybody can come together and basically be Santa Claus for that one day for our community.”

A volunteer in a Santa hat directs traffic at the Santa’s Posse pick-up event. Volunteers picked up toys and food and then delivered them to 1,500 families in need Sunday. Photo by Paul Valencia

Kathy Romero of Vancouver and Russ Wiley of Scappoose, Ore., were the first in line. Romero said they have been volunteering for Santa’s Posse for five years. She added that she loves to see the faces of the children when they arrive with the donated toys from the community.

Santa’s Posse officials said that this year’s event would deliver to 1,500 families, which includes more than 4,600 children.

“It is an amazing event for people to be able to feel like they are doing something for their community,” said Leah Lothspeich, a Santa’s Posse board member and volunteer.

She said that those who were the earliest in line were there so they could be the first to make deliveries and then return to the fairgrounds in case more deliveries were to be made.

“Those are the kind of people we have who are volunteering,” Lothspeich said. “We couldn’t ask for better volunteers.”

In all, there were more than 1,500 bags of toys that were picked up and delivered throughout Clark County on Sunday as part of Santa’s Posse. Photo by Paul Valencia

The sheriff’s office and partners had plenty of volunteers helping out with coffee and hot chocolate for those in the cars, waiting patiently for their turn. There were others there to help direct traffic. Cars, pick-up trucks, vans, and small buses showed up, and more volunteers loaded up those vehicles with a few bags of toys. Then the vehicles exited past the food pick-up area, where more volunteers added the boxes of food for each family in need.

At 9:24 a.m. on its Facebook page, Santa’s Posse announced that all 1,500 bags of toys had been picked up and out for delivery, and there was no need for any volunteers to return to the Events Center.

But then, breaking news at 9:59 a.m: Santa’s Posse announced that 100 more bags of toys and boxes of food were donated, and they asked for some volunteers to return for another round of pick-ups in order to go on another mission of joy.

John Horch, the Clark County Sheriff, and DuWayne Layton, deputy sheriff, appreciate the partnership between law enforcement and the community, rallying behind the cause for Santa’s Posse. Photo by Paul Valencia

Santa’s Posse started in 1997 with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office delivering toys for just a couple dozen families.

Horch said it has been incredible to watch the organization’s growth through the years. He loves having the community and law enforcement team up every year for this special cause.

“It’s a great way to put the two together and give back to people in need,” Horch said.